Keir Starmer’s government said more than three-quarters of pensioners in England and Wales will receive cold weather fuel payments this winter, reversing the bulk of a cut to the benefit that many of his lawmakers blamed for the ruling Labour Party’s waning popularity.

It was late July last year when I was among a bunch of reporters called into the Treasury to question the then new chancellor about her out-of-the-blue policy to take the Winter Fuel Payment from millions of pensioners.

Labour MPs have broadly welcomed the government's decision to reinstate winter fuel payments for three-quarters of pensioners but some are using the U-turn to renew their calls for planned benefit cuts to be reversed.