HALF of pensioners who miss winter fuel payments can only afford to heat one room

Half of pensioners who miss out on their winter fuel payment can now only afford to heat one room this winter, according to a survey by charity Independent Age.

The winter fuel payment is an annual benefit worth between £100 and £300, aimed at helping pensioners pay higher energy bills in the colder months.

But starting this winter, the benefit will only be given to those earning pension credit or other means-tested benefits, under changes made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Independent Age has found that 49 per cent of older people in England who will lose their winter fuel payment said they planned to just keep warm and spend time in a room.

One in five had already planned to do so, but now an additional 29 percent said they will resort to this measure because of the change.

43 per cent of people who will lose their winter fuel payment will wear outerwear indoors to stay warm.

Furthermore, 44 per cent of older people (over 65) in England believe that losing the Winter Fuel Payment will harm their physical health.

Charity Age UK estimates that 2.5 million pensioners “who urgently need the money to keep warm this winter” will not receive it and will find themselves in “serious trouble”.

A group of pensioners and organizations supporting them will deliver a petition with 500,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street and the Treasury on October 16.

The petition wants to challenge the Government’s plan to trial winter fuel payments and has been signed by groups including 38 Degrees, End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Independent Age and Silver Voices.

The latest government figures estimate that only 65 per cent of eligible older people receive the Pension Credit, meaning up to 760,000 eligible households will miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment this year.

Independent Age chief executive Joanna Elson said: “By now linking the winter fuel payment to pension credit, too many older people will be left behind.”

“Pension credit still has stubbornly low uptake and, furthermore, there is a large group of older people living just above the entitlement threshold, sometimes for just a few pounds.”