Thursday, August 15, 2024
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners may miss out on winter fuel payments
The paper says that stark new figures reveal a small drop in the number of people receiving Pension Credit in the past year, with Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) data showing that almost four in 10 of those entitled to the support are not claiming it:
The Government has announced that only those receiving Pension Credit or means-tested benefits will get winter fuel payments in order to save cash. The shake-up was unveiled by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in a raft of measures to tackle a £22billion black hole left by the Tories.
Pension Credit averages £3,900 a year, but in February the DWP said 880,000 people who are eligible didn't claim it. Charity Independent Age estimates around 1.2 million older adults are impacted, including those who live with someone not claiming the credit.
Chief executive Joanna Elson said: "The low take-up numbers show that now is not the right time to make changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, it’s dangerous and puts older lives at risk." Ms Elson said that means-testing winter fuel payments from the Autumn doesn't give enough time to significantly boost Pension Credit take-up.
She said: "Our helpline regularly hears from frightened older people making cutbacks and looking for support, and in the days following the Winter Fuel Payment announcement, there has been an increase in calls regarding Pension Credit and other entitlements."
The charity chief called for "swift action" to ensure all who are eligible claim the benefit. In its latest update the DWP said the number of Pension Credit claims was dropping due to the rise in the state pension age.
But it said that since February 2022 the caseload appears to have stabilised. Last week deputy PM Angela Rayner said: "There's thousands of people who are eligible for Pension Credit that are not currently receiving it.
"So my plea to people who are listening it to check out whether you're eligible for Pension Credit that won't and those people will continue to get the winter fuel payment."
This, of course, is the big danger of converting a universal benefit to a means-tested one. Labour should know better. Their decision to limit this payment could see hundreds of thousands of poorer pensioners struggling to keep warm this winter because they can't afford the cost of heating.
Pension Credit averages £3,900 a year, but in February the DWP said 880,000 people who are eligible didn't claim it. Charity Independent Age estimates around 1.2 million older adults are impacted, including those who live with someone not claiming the credit.
Chief executive Joanna Elson said: "The low take-up numbers show that now is not the right time to make changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, it’s dangerous and puts older lives at risk." Ms Elson said that means-testing winter fuel payments from the Autumn doesn't give enough time to significantly boost Pension Credit take-up.
She said: "Our helpline regularly hears from frightened older people making cutbacks and looking for support, and in the days following the Winter Fuel Payment announcement, there has been an increase in calls regarding Pension Credit and other entitlements."
The charity chief called for "swift action" to ensure all who are eligible claim the benefit. In its latest update the DWP said the number of Pension Credit claims was dropping due to the rise in the state pension age.
But it said that since February 2022 the caseload appears to have stabilised. Last week deputy PM Angela Rayner said: "There's thousands of people who are eligible for Pension Credit that are not currently receiving it.
"So my plea to people who are listening it to check out whether you're eligible for Pension Credit that won't and those people will continue to get the winter fuel payment."
This, of course, is the big danger of converting a universal benefit to a means-tested one. Labour should know better. Their decision to limit this payment could see hundreds of thousands of poorer pensioners struggling to keep warm this winter because they can't afford the cost of heating.
