The government was forced into a u-turn yesterday after the European court of justice ruled in favour of a retired postman who argued men were entitled to winter fuel payments at the same age as women. The court directed that the payment regulations, which exclude men below retirement age, breached a 1979 European Union directive prohibiting sex discrimination over social security benefits. But Alistair Darling, the social security secretary, said the ruling did not necessarily set a precedent in other areas - such as bus passes and the state pension.
European law is quite complicated here.
One of the things they took into account was that this is a new payment, and therefore we ought to have treated it differently. He said there were already plans for the state pension to be equalised in 2020. You can't suddenly change people's pensions arrangements overnight. All over-60s should receive winter fuel payments now. Although we've won the battle, we have not yet won the war.