All pensioners in Scotland will be given help with winter fuel bills next year, the Scottish Government has confirmed. Plans to provide the seasonal support emerged in the media before they were announced to the Scottish Parliament, prompting an apology from social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.

Scottish pensioners who lost out on winter fuel payments this year are to receive a new Holyrood benefit next year, the government has confirmed. The payment will not be ready until late 2025, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told parliament.

The Scottish Government said it will ‘continue to protect our pensioners from the harsh reality of a UK Labour Government’.

Pensioners in Scotland are set to get help with energy costs after winter fuel payments across the UK were cut by Labour.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves ended universal entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment, worth up to £300, in a move backed by MPs after Labour won the general election. Under the new rules, eligibility is limited to those in receipt of Pension Credit.