The "vast majority" of Scots pensioners on a tight budget will lose their winter fuel payment, according to a charity's own research.

Age UK crunched the numbers and calculated that a "shockingly" high number - 82% or four in every five - of older people living below or just above the poverty line will lose the benefit following the Labour Government's decision to means test the benefit.

This includes significant numbers (80%) of older people who are aged over 80, disabled, living alone, and female.

In Scotland, 85% of pensioners (200,000) will lose the WFP (the same percentage as the east of England) with the highest proportion (86%) living in Wales and the south east.

It comes after Anas Sarwar conceded the UK Labour Government has faced "teething problems" in its first 100 days in office amid continued backlash over the decision.

Only those on Pension Credit or similar benefits will be eligible as the Chancellor attempts to plug a £2 billion black hole in the country's finances.

Age UK said it carried out an equality impact assessment using the most up-to-date statistics because the UK Government had either failed to do it or was "choosing not to publish" the findings.

It estimated the proportion and number of pensioners that will no longer receive payments using the Household Below Average Income (HBAI) 2022-23 dataset, which is based on surveys on household income.

For each family it identified whether there were any members who were in receipt of any of the qualifying benefits for winter fuel payments and applied that to each household. Researchers then estimated the proportion and number that did not receive any and will therefore no longer receive the fuel payment.

The charity’s research looks at its impact by age, sex, living circumstances, disability and geographical location but said it was not possible to analyse the impact by ethnicity because the sample size was too low.

It found that there is no region or country in the UK in which fewer than 74% of pensioners living in poverty or just above the poverty line will lose the payment.

Of those with a disability 78% (1.1m) will no longer receive support to heat their homes.

Age Scotland has urged the Government to keep WFP as a universal payment this year, pending the spending review in the spring, or expand the numbers who qualify by automatically giving it to those who receive benefits including council tax support and the carers allowance.

The Scottish Labour leader defended Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to means test the payment - but refused to say whether he was proud of the move.

Age Scotland’s policy director Adam Stachura said: “It’s frankly scandalous to consider that the vast majority of pensioners in Scotland living in poverty or just above the poverty line will not receive the Winter Fuel Payment this year.“This research brings into sharp focus just how many older people will be living in cold homes, eating fewer hot meals, and risking their health for fear of falling into unmanageable debt this winter, and it is those already struggling who will bear the weight of the UK Government's rushed decision.

“Pensioners have historically relied on the Winter Fuel Payment to take the sting out of rising energy bills during the coldest months of the year.

"Unless we see a drastic U-turn in the government’s approach, this brutal decision will cut off vital support for those who need it most, when they need it most – with no alternative in place for older people on low incomes unless they receive Pension Credit.

A petition by the charity opposing the cut has received more than 553,000 signatures.

The UK Government has said it is "committed" to supporting pensioners, with millions expected to see their state pension rise by up to £1,700.

On the winter fuel payment, the government said "over a million pensioners will still receive" the benefit.

The Scottish Government led a Holyrood debate yesterday calling for the cut to be reversed.