Winter fuel payments petition nears quarter-million signatures

A petition calling on the Government to reconsider plans to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for most pensioners has gathered almost a quarter of a million signatures.

Around ten million pensioners could lose the benefit, worth between £100 and £300 a year, and an estimated one to two million of the poorest are expected to struggle to pay energy bills to heat their homes this winter.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last week that payments currently available to all pensioners will be restricted to those claiming pension credit or certain other benefits.

Age UK says the WFP’s means assessment “with virtually no warning and no compensatory measures to protect the poor and vulnerable” will cause hardship and distress for around two million older people.

He adds that three groups likely to be hardest hit are those whose incomes are slightly too high to qualify for pension credit, people who could apply for it but don’t (typically a third of those eligible) and sick or disabled people with high energy needs.

The charity says energy bills for a typical household are now £1,568, up 29 per cent on winter 2021/22 levels, and are expected to rise again in October if the energy price cap is raised.

> How to claim pension credit: Find out below

Some 850,000 older people are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it, while around 130,000 do not receive it because they are just £500 above the income threshold, according to social policy data firm Policy in Practice.

These people are estimated to lose a total of £10,000 worth of support from benefits unlocked by pension credit, including housing benefit, council tax support and free TV licences for over-75s.

Research by Policy in Practice has found that local council initiatives to promote the uptake of pension credit have a 29 per cent success rate, compared with 13 per cent for a national campaign by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The government’s cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, also known as the Winter Energy Payment or WEP, has sparked widespread condemnation, an open letter from 22 charities and a campaign for people to complain to their MPs.

Pension credit: the policy in practice analyses the additional payments that the benefit unlocks

He Age UK petition on winter fuel payments, which at the time of writing had received around 237,000 signatures, says: “The Government should pause its proposed change to the Winter Fuel Payment and think twice.”

It also says: “This cut is taking place in England and Wales. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, decisions on payment are devolved and not yet clear, but it is likely that the UK Government will no longer provide the money to cover the cost of what pensioners in those countries currently receive.”

Qualifying week for this year’s Winter Fuel Payments will be September 16-22.

The pension credit can be carried back three months, as long as you meet the rules in that period, so December 21 is the last date to file a claim and still qualify for WEP.

Are you older and anxious about bills?

Age UK has a free helpline on 0800 678 1602 for older people who are struggling to pay their bills or for friends and family who are worried about them.

This is open every day of the year between 8:00 and 19:00, or you can Visit Age UK’s help page here.

Age UK staff will check that you receive everything you are entitled to, including pension credit.

If you are older and not in a wealthy position, Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to a minimum of £218.15 for single people and £332.95 for couples.

Pension Credit also opens the door to lots of extra help with household bills, and Age UK staff will help you with applications.

Learn more about making claims at government.uk and read a guide from This is Money on pension credit.

You can request it by phone at 0800 99 1234, do it online or get a form to do it mailA friend or family member can apply on behalf of an older person.

Age UK also has a Free anonymous profit calculator which can provide an estimate of what you might be entitled to if you wish to obtain this information privately.

“This isn’t the only help with heating bills that pensioners are being asked to do without this winter, compared to last,” says Caroline Abrahams, director of the charity Age UK.

‘Cost of living payments have stopped and the Household Support Fund has closed. Meanwhile, energy bills for a typical household are about a third higher than they were three or four years ago, and the energy price cap is expected to be lifted in October, so bills could rise again.

We believe that means testing the Winter Fuel Payment is a misguided policy decision because wealthy seniors will hardly notice its loss, but approximately another two million people on low and modest incomes, or who have very high energy bills through no fault of their own, will also miss out on this opportunity when they really rely on it to be able to pay their fuel bills.

‘What worries us most is that we fear that many will not be able to afford to keep themselves adequately warm this winter, which could cause them enormous anxiety and distress, as well as undermining their physical health, especially if they live with serious health conditions.’

Policy in Practice founder Deven Ghelani says: ‘Taking the Winter Fuel Payment off the wealthiest pensioners is one of the few sensible ways to save money on social security, particularly as they benefit from the triple lock.

‘However, there is really no excuse for the shockingly low levels of pension credit utilisation, as many older people continue to struggle with the cost of living.

‘The Secretary of State should prioritise simplicity in the benefits system and promote proactive support for people. The DWP could start by sharing data with local authorities and extending legislation to allow automated uptake campaigns for benefits such as pension credit.

“If Universal Credit data were shared more widely, we could increase revenue while reducing administrative costs.”

A Government spokesperson said: ‘This Government is committed to pensioners – protecting the triple lock, keeping energy bills down through our Warm Homes Scheme and reducing NHS waiting lists, bringing real stability to people’s lives.

‘We said we would be honest with the public and, given the dire state of public finances we have inherited, this Government must take difficult decisions to fix the foundations of the economy.

‘In these circumstances, it is only right that Winter Fuel Payments are targeted to those most in need, and we will work with local authorities to boost the uptake of pension credit, reaching the many pensioners who could still benefit from this year’s Winter Fuel Payments.’

The Government expects around 1.3 million households in England and Wales to continue to receive Winter Fuel Payments, taking into account the anticipated increased take-up of pension credit.

It is planned to work with local authorities to merge the administration of pension credit and housing benefit as soon as possible.

In addition to pension credit, people who reached state pension age before 23 September and are eligible for Income Support, income-related JSA, income-related ESA and Universal Credit will be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment.

Anyone who is entitled to pension credit for at least one day of the Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week of 16-22 September will automatically be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, subject to some exceptions.