Cold hard truth

Winter fuel support axed for most OAPs. Tories hid black hole in UK's finances'

- JOHN STEVENS

NEARLY 10 million pensioners will lose the winter fuel allowance because of the "terrible mess" left by the Tories, Rachel Reeves announced yesterday.

The Chancellor said Rishi Sunak and his mates should "hang their heads in shame" for failing to come clean and "covering up" shortfalls.

She told the Commons they had left a £22billion black hole in the nation's finances this year, which was forcing her to make £5bn in immediate savings.

This includes giving future winter fuel payments - worth £300 to over-80s and £200 to younger pensioners only to those entitled to Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits The number of recipients will fall from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million.

Ms Reeves told MPs: "Let me be clear, this is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it the one that I expected to make.