Means testing pension benefits would be cheaper - Webb

Last week, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg attracted criticism by calling for pension age benefits such as winter fuel allowance to be means tested. Although the Conservatives are said to be set against any means testing, pensions minister Steve Webb this week added weight to the Liberal Democrats' argument for the idea. In response to a written question from Ben Gummer, Conservative MP for Ipswich, Webb said: "Means-testing winter fuel payments would significantly increase administrative costs, but it is likely that these would be more than offset by decreased benefit expenditure. ...