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Thanks to everyone who's submitted a question or comment about the winter fuel allowance news today.

We've answered some of your questions - you can find them in the key points above.

Here are some of your comments - most of you are supportive of the change made today, having struggled with last year's cuts:

"I'm only just above pension credit and I've struggled so much paying for heating. Starmer should make an apology to us."
Patricia D

"The question is who's going to pay for it? Pensioners on £35,000 a year definitely don't need the winter fuel payment, but the welfare budget is seriously out of control."
Izzy

"Rachel Reeves can't reverse the winter fuel payments and defend the original decision. The means testing that is being applied is so simple it should have been done in the first place. As for the economy being in better shape now - really?"
Crowlegs

"I am 87 years old and did not get my usual winter fuel payment. I was layering up and also using blankets, some days I just stayed in bed. I was so upset because I have worked hard all my life and paid my taxes all my working life."
Morrison

But some of you aren't so happy about it�

"I thought the cut was reasonable. We now see potential for a couple on a joint income of £70k (likely with no mortgage) receiving the payment. On the other hand, this is paid for by taxation raised from working people on far less. It's time to cut tax and stop all the handouts."
Andy

"48yr old NHS worker, privately renting at £1,100pm on £26,000pa. Can I have a winter allowance too? Mortgage-free pensioners much better off than me will be raking it in."
Nic

"Completely wrong! We are a country ran by gerontocracy! It is simply not sustainable to keep handing out money to people, let alone to pensioners occupying million pound houses!"
Fuming!

"I am a pensioner, I still work as does my wife. We have a joint income of around £35,000. Do I need the winter fuel allowance? No. Those whose sole income is from benefits may need it but the vast majority don't. I support the withdrawal of the allowance and make it means tested."
Brian H

Thanks for your question, James. 

The government estimated last year's winter fuel cut .

A reminder that the change - restricting it to those who get pension credit - reduced the number of people who received the benefit from more than 11 million to just 1.5 million.

The government has said the change made today - which brings the number who'll get it back up above nine million - will save £450m.

That's £450m compared to what it cost when the winter fuel payment was universal for all pensioners.

Though it's worth noting that economists have estimated the actual savings in both cases are lower, because of the increased uptake of pension credit since the initial changes were announced.

Hello there, Patricia - thanks for the question.

The payment should be made in November or December.

You don't need to do anything. Everyone over the state pension age will receive the payment automatically, unless you opt out in advance.

If you don't opt out and are above the £35,000 threshold, the payment will automatically be recovered by HMRC.

Scousegrannie, you are not the only one who's asked us about this.

Anyone with an income of £35,000 or less is eligible for the winter fuel payment - that's per person, not per household (one of our posts earlier wrongly said household, apologies for the error - it has been corrected).

But there are some caveats. In the Commons earlier, pensions minister Torsten Bell offered some clarity.

He said each if there are two pensioners living together, each would receive half the winter fuel payment (so that would be £100 rather than £200, or £150 rather than £300 if they're over 80).

If one has an income above £35,000 and the other is below, the higher earner won't get anything and the other will get half.

Just joining us and need a catch-up on the main story of the day? Our political reporter Faye Brown has you covered:

Winter fuel payments will extend to everyone over the state pension age with an income of or below £35,000 a year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced.

The Treasury said the change will cost around £1.25bn in England and Wales but still save £450m from when the universal allowance was in place.

'A tough decision - but the right one'

Dropping the benefit for all pensioners was one of the first things Labour did in government, despite it not being in their manifesto.

The change meant only those on pension credit or other benefits were eligible - a deeply unpopular move that was widely blamed on the party's poor performance in May's local elections.

Reeves said: "Targeting winter fuel payments was a tough decision, but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government.

"It is also right that we continue to means-test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone, including the wealthiest."

In his defiant defence of the government's U-turn, pensions minister Torsten Bell seems to have given a nod that more such direction changes could be on the way.

One policy Labour backbenchers are keen to amend is the two-child benefit cap, which was brought in by the Tories in 2017.

They want to see families with more than two children get benefits for subsequent children.

Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey asked about if this change was coming down the road.

Bell said: "If we look at who is struggling most, having to turn off their heating, it is actually younger families with children that are struggling with that. 

"So she's absolutely right to raise this issue. 

"It is one of the core purposes of this government, we cannot carry on with a situation where large families, a huge percentage of them are in poverty."

This seems to be a nod that the policy could be on the chopping block - and follows hints from other ministers like Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson:

Torsten Bell, the pensions minister, was the one sent to the despatch box this afternoon to endure the wrath of MPs in the wake of the winter fuel payment U-turn.

He is, as of writing, still there.

Unsurprisingly, Conservative MPs are vociferous in their criticism. 

Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately grandstanded, remaking points we are all familiar with.

She did start, however, by saying she felt for Bell being sent out "by his bosses to complete what must be the most humiliating climbdown a government has ever faced in its first year in office".

Bell was seen bellowing "Liz Truss" at her from across the aisle.

'Chilling'

Conservative MP Dame Harriet Baldwin - who was formerly chair of the Treasury select committee - said Chancellor Rachel Reeves made a "chilling" decision last year when she changed winter fuel.

Bell - who at one pointed boasted that consumer champion Martin Lewis had praised the U-turn - was pushed on various technical points too.

Will family estates be pursued for money back after a pensioner dies? No.

Will savings be counted towards the threshold for winter fuel payments? It depends if it's taxed or not.

There was also criticism from the Labour benches - with the likes of Rachel Maskell and Imran Hussain welcoming the U-turn.

However, both they and other Labour MPs said they wanted the government to go further - including by scrapping the two-child cap to bring down child poverty too.

Despite being invited to do so, Bell declined on multiple occasions to apologise to pensioners who had their winter fuel payments taken away last year and who will now be getting them back.

Ahead of Wednesday's spending review, the government has confirmed all departments have settled their budgets with the Treasury.

There had been reports Yvette Cooper in the Home Office had been holding out for extra cash, but this looks to have been figured out.

Rachel Reeves will deliver the spending review to parliament at around 12.30pm on Wednesday - we'll bring you live coverage.

The prime minister's spokesperson confirmed the review was settled earlier this afternoon.

Torsten Bell is on his feet in the Commons, laying out the government's winter fuel payment U-turn.

You can watch live in the stream at the top of this page.

If it's still playing the usual Sky News channel stream, refresh the page.