Retirees who want to keep their winter fuel allowance face a grueling application process that involves answering hundreds of questions on vexing topics, including whether they want to claim pension credit for any children.
And delays in the system mean some applicants have to wait up to six months before being approved or rejected.
More than 10 million people will no longer receive up to £300 of winter fuel allowance this winter unless they get pension credit, in a cruel cash grab orchestrated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Around 880,000 people who are entitled to the pension credit but have not yet applied for it could continue to receive their winter fuel payments if they complete the process, the government said.
Many pensioners are put off by the complexity of the 24-page claim form.
But applicants for the scholarship are faced with a dizzying list of 243 detailed questions, ranging from the intrusive and difficult to answer to the downright absurd.
Applicants are asked to show their financial situation and reveal the most private details about their income and savings, as well as those of their partner.
Money Mail readers have told of their anguish at being forced to share their most private financial affairs. This includes scrutinising the details of every savings account they have and how much they receive from their workplace pensions, right through to when the money arrives in their account each month.
Pensioners are faced with a list of poorly worded questions that can seem bewildering, including “Do you want to claim pension credit for any qualifying children or young people?”, “Is the child in prison or custody awaiting trial or sentencing?” or “Is the child currently outside Britain?”.
Until recently, the form even asked whether applicants, who had to be of retirement age, were “currently pregnant.”
Other questions require pensioners to search for specific details that may be difficult to obtain and that at first glance appear irrelevant to the criteria required for pension credit.
This includes questions such as “When was your lease on your home granted, was it for more than 21 years?”, “Are you hospitalized?”, “Is your partner hospitalized?” and the exact date you and your partner left work.
Applicants are also asked to write personal statement-style paragraphs to justify why they believe they qualify, or, rather vaguely, are asked to “tell us more about the property or land” they own.
Even those who answer hundreds of questions to complete an application say this is not the worst part of the process.
Many are facing long waits for the money as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has warned of delays due to the high volume of applications and postal delays.
Readers tell us they have been forced to wait up to six months for vital pension money to reach their accounts.
Jessica Beard says Mail readers are shocked by the level of financial detail required to apply for winter fuel payments.
Those most in need will be at risk if they are left without the means to heat their homes during the freezing months of this winter.
Others complain of poor help from operators working on government helplines and absurd security checks. In one case, we spoke to an 85-year-old woman who had recently been widowed and was turned away for failing a security check because she could not remember to the last penny how much of her state pension she received. Operators refused to discuss her application any further after this.
Pension credit is a benefit for people over state pension age on low incomes to help with living costs.
Top up your retirement income to £218.15 per week if you’re single, or a joint income of £332.95 if you have a partner.
Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity Independent Age, said: “Callers to our helpline tell us that one of the biggest hurdles to claiming pension credit is gathering all the information they need to provide to make a claim.”
Many are also put off by the inaccessibility and length of the 24-page form, she adds.
The DWP is organising a “pension credit action week” in a bid to boost take-up
and encourage pensioners to check their eligibility. But campaigners and charities warn that the complexity of the application form and the intrusive nature of the questions are putting many off. Dennis Reed, of the campaign group Silver Voices, says: “It’s so complicated that many older pensioners rely on their sons and daughters to help them fill it out.
‘But what if they don’t have access to the family?’
“Government campaigns always fail because people don’t want to have to share all their personal data or declare their income. They don’t want to tell the world that they are poor or that they don’t have much savings. It’s shameful. And among older generations there is a deep-rooted idea that you have to be proud and make do with what you have.”
Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb says the questions could be clearer on the form and echoes Reed’s words. Sir Steve, who is now a partner at the consultancy LCP, says: “The issue of privacy is particularly an issue for many older people who may be secretive about their financial affairs and not want to discuss it with a stranger.”
Nina Hayton, from South Petherton, Somerset, who now receives pension credit, says the form appears designed to deter people.
The 73-year-old retired agriculture secretary says: ‘The government is just putting obstacles in their way with all this bureaucracy.
‘The questions required data and figures that could not be answered without having all the paperwork. For many, the challenge is a nightmare they cannot face.’
Nina was long daunted by filling out the 24-page form on the Government website, but eventually spent half a day completing it with the help of the charity Age UK. However, she then had to wait four months before receiving any payment until Money Mail highlighted her plight in December 2022.
There are ways to make the process easier; Sir Steve recommends calling the Pension Credit Helpline to apply rather than filling out a paper form.
That’s because call center staff can skip dozens of questions when a section doesn’t apply to you — for example, if you don’t have dependent children or if you’re not applying for disability benefits.
You can apply for Pension Credit at any time after you reach state pension age, currently 66, and your claim can be backdated for three months. Apply online at apply-for-pension-credit.service.gov.uk/start or call the Pension Credit Claims Line on 0800 99 1234.
A DWP spokesperson said: ‘To ensure pension credit is accessible to everyone, applications can be made online, by phone or using a paper application form.
‘For anyone concerned about the paper application process, we recommend applying online (the service is available 24/7/365 and can be completed with a friend or family member) or by phone, where the caller is guided through the application process.’
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