Ministers fear 120,000 of most vulnerable pensioners will miss out on winter fuel payments

Ministers fear as much as 120,000 of the most vulnerable pensioners will miss out on cash to pay their winter fuel payments after Rachel Reeves stripped the cost from hundreds of thousands of older folks.

The authorities is to jot down to the group subsequent month to warn them they will lose out except they apply for pension credit earlier than Christmas.

But many face months-long delays processing varieties, that means they nonetheless might not obtain the money this winter, The Independent can reveal.

Ministers have defended the change, saying they need to “get the money from somewhere” and blaming the final Conservative authorities for leaving a £22bn black gap within the public funds.

But they’ve urged much less well-off pensioners to use for pension credit score, beneath which they might nonetheless be eligible for the £200-300 winter fuel cost, designed to assist with heating prices through the colder months.

Now ministers are to jot down to tens of 1000’s of pensioners to warn they might nonetheless be eligible for the money.

Out of round 1,000,000 older folks on housing profit, they will inform greater than 100,000 of them they might nonetheless obtain help with their heating payments.

Work and Pensions minister Emma Reynolds mentioned in a solution to a parliamentary query: “In November we will also be writing to approximately 120,000 pensioners who are in receipt of housing benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, pension credit. We will be inviting these pensioners to claim pension credit by the 21 December”.

Ann Davies, Plaid Cymru’s work and pensions spokesperson, who requested the query, mentioned she was “deeply disappointed” by the federal government’s refusal to broaden Winter Fuel Payment eligibility to incorporate different vulnerable teams. “The impact on pensioners facing rising energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis could be devastating,” she warned.

“I’m additionally dissatisfied that these pensioners have but to be told, with the DWP solely planning to jot down to them in November. Given delays in processing payments, there’s an actual danger they could not obtain the cash this winter, leaving many to wrestle by the bitterly chilly winter months with out assist.”

“Our pensioners deserve to live in warmth, dignity, and security this winter,” she added.

The news comes as a survey by the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisors (NAWRA) shows many of its members are facing lengthy waits, with 45 per cent reporting that their clients experienced an average delay of between 12 weeks and six months – and 17 per cent said that figure was more than six months.

Even if an eligible pensioner applied for pension credit at the beginning of August, a six-month wait would mean their winter fuel payment won’t be paid until the start of February, potentially leaving them to struggle in the colder months of December and January.

The chancellor’s announcement of the changes sparked a rush of applications, potentially making delays even longer. Applications for pension credit, designed to top up the income of pensioners who have less than £218.15 a week to live on, have soared since the chancellor’s announcement, piling more pressure on the system.

Even including a period before the change was announced, the average processing time for applications was around eight weeks, DWP figures between 3 June and 7 October show.

An NAWRA spokesman said: “The times are highly likely to increase. The figures also do not give any indication of the longest waiting times, or of the numbers who are experiencing them.”

The charity Age UK estimates that beneath the plans round two million vulnerable pensioners who want the cash will miss out.

Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK referred to as on ministers to present winter fuel payments to all pensioners in receipts of housing profit this winter.

“If (ministers) choose to press on … at the very least they must urgently bring in measures to greatly expand the numbers who will still receive Winter Fuel Payment, by automatically giving it to those receiving Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Personal Independence Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carers Allowance,” she mentioned.

“This would be a partial solution but won’t help every older person on low incomes that the charity is worried about, so further help would also be required for some pensioners who only receive a low proportion of the full State Pension.

“If the government declines to bring forward any mitigating measures at all in next week’s Budget, we fear for the 2.5 million pensioners we think will be worst affected this winter.  At best their lives will be anxious and miserable, at worst their health could be badly undermined.”

Steve Darling, the Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesperson, mentioned: “It’s nothing short of distressing that the pensions minister is yet to write to thousands of pensioners who may be able to keep their winter fuel allowance.”

A Government spokesperson mentioned: “We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their state pension rise by up to £1,700 this parliament through our commitment to the Triple Lock.

“Anyone who makes a successful claim for Pension Credit and meets the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility criteria will receive their payment, and we are deploying 450 additional staff to process the expected increase in claims.

“Over a million pensioners will still receive the Winter Fuel Payment, and our drive to boost Pension Credit take up has already seen a 152 per cent increase in claims. Many others will also benefit from the £150 Warm Home Discount to help with energy bills over winter while our extension of the Household Support Fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.”