Millionaires shouldn’t get winter fuel payments, minister says

Millionaires should not be getting winter fuel payments, a senior minister has said, as the government considers how to ease cuts to the allowance for pensioners.

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, said the payments would be “targeted to those that need it the most”.

It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on the withdrawal of the allowance from millions of pensioners, after a backlash over the decision.

Sir Keir said “more pensioners” would be able to claim the payments again, under changes to be made at the Budget this autumn.

But the prime minister did not specify how many pensioners would be entitled to claim the payments, when the change would take effect, or how much it would cost the government.

Conservative leader…