Yesterday, the Government voted to limit winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners in England and Wales.
Winter fuel payments of either £200 or £300 are usually made in November and December. Although pensions are due to rise by 4% in April, winter fuel payments are made as a lump sum to help during the winter months.
The cut is intended to save £1.4bn from the welfare bill this year.
Although the vote was designed to direct winter fuel payments to people on the very lowest incomes, there are many thousands of people on small incomes who will now miss out on the support.
The majority of people now eligible for the winter fuel payment will only receive it if they claim pension credit – but we know around 880,000 eligible pensioners don’t claim it.
Tracy Bruce, Head of Community and Crisis Services at Everyturn, said:
“This cut will leave hundreds of thousands of older people in the cold.
“We believe this will also put more than people’s physical health at risk. At Everyturn, we know there’s a clear line between poverty and mental ill-health; we see it every day in our crisis services.
“In 2024, over 4,000 people have accessed our Together in a Crisis services in the North East, with almost half also needing urgent and practical financial support. As a result, we’ve given over £12,000 of food and utility bill vouchers to support people with the financial pressures that are pushing them into mental health crisis.
“We need to be doing more, not less, to support the most vulnerable people in our country.”
Resources:
- Click here to find out if you are eligible for winter fuel payments.
- Click here to find out if you are eligible for pension credit.