Wealthy elderly people who do not need benefits to help with fuel bills, TV licences or free travel should return the money, the work and pensions secretary says.
Iain Duncan Smith told the Sunday Telegraph he would "encourage" people who do not need such financial support "to hand it back".
But the decision whether or not to do so was up to them, he added.
He also defended the phasing in of the new universal credit.
On universal benefits, Mr Duncan Smith said there were no plans to means test to exclude richer pensioners.
The winter fuel allowance provides between ?100 and ?300 tax-free to help people who have reached the state pension age with heating bills.
and from his colleague.......
Former Conservative Chancellor Ken Clarke said there was no "system" for handing the benefit back to the government.
"I think every pensioner and retired person, like myself, obviously has to make up their own mind about whether they really need it and whether they're going to give it to some worthwhile cause.
"No doubt, most pensioners who are reasonably prosperous give quite a lot of money to charity and worthwhile causes in any event."
BBC News - Iain Duncan Smith urges wealthy elderly to 'hand back' benefits
You'd have thought that by now IDS would have had someone check his facts before he started making comments to the press, but that would mean he'd have to tell the truth instead of the half truths that the Tory party are so good at making. Perhaps he should buy larger shoes.....
Iain Duncan Smith told the Sunday Telegraph he would "encourage" people who do not need such financial support "to hand it back".
But the decision whether or not to do so was up to them, he added.
He also defended the phasing in of the new universal credit.
On universal benefits, Mr Duncan Smith said there were no plans to means test to exclude richer pensioners.
The winter fuel allowance provides between ?100 and ?300 tax-free to help people who have reached the state pension age with heating bills.
and from his colleague.......
Former Conservative Chancellor Ken Clarke said there was no "system" for handing the benefit back to the government.
"I think every pensioner and retired person, like myself, obviously has to make up their own mind about whether they really need it and whether they're going to give it to some worthwhile cause.
"No doubt, most pensioners who are reasonably prosperous give quite a lot of money to charity and worthwhile causes in any event."
BBC News - Iain Duncan Smith urges wealthy elderly to 'hand back' benefits
You'd have thought that by now IDS would have had someone check his facts before he started making comments to the press, but that would mean he'd have to tell the truth instead of the half truths that the Tory party are so good at making. Perhaps he should buy larger shoes.....
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