Reeves moves fast to tackle £22bn budget shortfall ‘covered up’ by Tories

Measures include cutting winter fuel payments for wealthier pensioners and shelving cap on social care payments

Rachel Reeves has cut winter fuel payments for 10 million wealthier pensioners as she sought to plug a £22bn black hole in the public finances she said was “covered up” by the Conservative government, while hinting at tax rises in her first autumn budget.

The chancellor also shelved the long-delayed cap on what people would pay for social care as she ignited a bonfire of Tory policies she said would be needed to deal with the deficit, telling MPs: “If we cannot afford it, we cannot do it.”