Nigel Farage has demanded that the Government must reverse its winter fuel cut for pensioners in full. The Reform UK leader challenged Rachel Reeves to make a complete U-turn when she delivers her highly anticipated spending review next week.

Failure to do so will be a “betrayal of British pensioners”, he warned. Mr Farage’s ultimatum comes after the Chancellor confirmed Labour’s partial U-turn on winter fuel payments will happen in time for more pensioners to benefit this winter. But not all retirees will have the benefit restored, she said.

In another day of chaos over the policy, neither Ms Reeves nor Sir Keir Starmer would say when the exact details of the change would be announced or how many people it would affect.

And pensions minister Tortsten Bell delivered a further kick in the teeth when he claimed there were no extra elderly deaths as a result of the cut and that fewer pensioners died than usual.

Writing exclusively in the Daily Express, Mr Farage promised his party would completely reverse the policy – as championed by this newspaper – if it wins the next general election.

He added that “many pensioners, through no fault of their own, will continue to lose out if this isn’t reinstated fully”.

“This is a matter of fairness. Next week, the Chancellor has a chance to set the record straight.

Her spending review is an opportunity to make up for her mistake and fully reinstate the winter fuel allowance. Anything less is a betrayal of British pensioners.”

Ms Reeves announced the winter fuel cut just weeks after Labour swept to power last July.

The payment, worth up to £300 to help with energy bills during the coldest months, was paid only to those on pension credit last year, but the policy was widely blamed for the party’s dismal local election results.

Furthermore, Reform UK secured a stunning victory over Labour in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, with winter fuel cuts a totemic issue among voters.

The Prime Minister signalled a partial U-turn on the policy last month in the wake of his party’s pummelling at the ballot box.

Ms Reeves confirmed that the changes will be made in time so that “more people will get winter fuel payment this winter”.

Speaking in Rochdale, she said: “People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter.”

But she refused to say if an announcement would be made at next week’s spending review or the next autumn Budget.

Sir Keir did not confirm during Prime Minister’s Questions who would be eligible for the revised policy.

“We will look, again, as I said two weeks ago, at the eligibility for winter fuel, and of course, we’ll set out how we pay for it,” when quizzed by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch on how many of the 10 million pensioners who lost the allowance would get it back.

Ms Badenoch said the Chancellor was “rushing her plans because she just realised when winter is”.

If the Government waits until the Budget to announce the changes, it would be just before payments are typically made.

Eligible pensioners receive payments automatically in November or December.

Under the short-lived current system, people are required to claim pension credit – which is a top-up to the state pension for those on low incomes.

Households with a person under 80 receive £200 a year, while homes with a person over 80 receive £300.

Meanwhile, Mr Bell sparked fury over his remarks to the Work and Pensions Committee when he was asked what excess deaths were predicted as a result of changes to the winter fuel payment last autumn.

“First of all, we saw negative excess deaths, so fewer deaths than normal, that’s obviously due to a wide range of factors,” he said.

“But if we look at the cohorts particularly affected by changes in the winter fuel payments, we see no differential effects on their health outcomes over the course of last winter.”

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition said it has written to the Department for Work and Pensions and the Office for National Statistics over the comments.

Simon Francis, End Fuel Poverty Coalition co-ordinator, said previously: “One of the things we often talk about in relation to fuel poverty is just how hidden it can be – especially among pensioners, who are often reluctant to come forward and admit they’re struggling, even to their own relatives.

“You can easily imagine a situation where a pensioner puts the heating on when family visits, just to make it appear as though everything is fine, when in fact it’s not.

“We’re particularly concerned about the health impacts of this.”

Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group for the elderly, fumed: “What a mish-mash of Government statements which leaves us no clearer on what the new Government policy is on winter fuel.

“The impression being given is of a Government being dragged screaming to the realization that full restoration of the benefit is the only answer, but desperately trying to argue that the original decision was correct”.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said: “We are encouraged by the Chancellor’s words, but will wait to see the detail, which needs to be published very soon if changes are to be made in time for this winter, something that is absolutely crucial if we’re to protect the pensioners at greatest risk.”