There are two obvious reasons why Keir Starmer is wrong on pensioners not needing winter fuel payments.

The government has decided to cut the winter fuel payment for ten million pensioners in England and Wales to help fill a £22 billion “black hole” left by the Conservatives.

The winter fuel payment was designed to ensure pensioners could afford to pay their energy bills during the winter months. It is a one-off tax-free payment of either £200 or £300 each year, determined by age.

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision. He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “What I can guarantee for the state pension is that the increase under this government will outstrip any reduction in the winter fuel payment“.

BBC Verify has said that It is likely that average earnings figures, due out tomorrow, will confirm that the state pension will rise by more than £400 next year.

The winter fuel payment is either £200 or £300, and so the prime minister is right that the increase in the state pension will generally be more than that.

But there are two obvious problems with Starmer’s claim, according to BBC Verify – the first of which is that the state pension will not rise until April and the £400 will be spread over the following year.

Winter fuel payments, on the other hand, are usually made in November or December.

The other problem is that the increase in the state pension

More than ten million pensioners are expected to miss out on the winter fuel payment this year.

Around 11.4 million people currently qualify for the payment, but this will be cut to 1.5 million. The move is expected to save the government around £1.4 billion this year.

There are also concerns an estimated 880,000 low-income pensioner households are entitled to pension credit but don’t claim it.