The States agreed yesterday afternoon to spend an additional £560,000 on a winter fuel allowance that will start from January. The payment will go to households receiving Income Support with a member over 65, once the temperature drops below 15.5 C degrees. Ministers originally planned to pay for the winter fuel payment by raiding the Christmas Bonus scheme, but performed a u-turn after heavy opposition from pensioner groups. Yesterday’s decision, passed by 40 votes to two, means adding £560,000 to Social Security’s budget for next year. The original plan, for a payment to go to every household that included a pensioner, would have cost £2.5m per year, according to ministers.
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