I agree with Margrete too - most likely to be tied in with pension credit. I certainly don't imagine for one moment that one of a couple will receive it while their partner, with a higher income, doesn't. Benefits just don't work like it, though you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise given how the media love to misleadingly compare benefits received by an entire household with the average earnings of one individual.
That said, this is not necessarily seen as a cost-cutting exercise. (The bedroom tax never saved any money ((housing benefit has risen, despite there being fewer people claiming it)), but was a hugely popular policy with a large section of the electorate, so a great success as far as the Government is concerned). Perhaps it is more of a bid to appease / appeal to younger voters who are increasingly being led to believe that the retired are all living the life of Riley. The fact that the better-off retirees are still contributing as tax-payers is rarely mentioned, and probably something that many of those younger voters are unaware of.
Admittedly, it does seem unlikely that the Government would risk alienating the 'grey' vote in this way, but not impossible.
