Pensioners Call for Reinstatement of Universal Winter Fuel Payments
Pensioners who have endured the harshest months of winter without receiving winter fuel payments are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to reconsider her decision to eliminate universal support. Carole, an 87-year-old disabled widow residing alone in Bournemouth, shared her distress with The i Paper, recounting a difficult few months battling the cold within her home this winter. She has greatly missed the £300 winter fuel payment that she relied on in previous years to increase her heating during the winter months.
“It’s been a dreadful winter. The cold has been unbearable,” Carole expressed, noting her struggle with arthritis. “I have a blanket over my knees and a hot water bottle—that’s how I try to stay warm.” Living in social housing, Carole has had to keep her heating off or set to a minimum to manage her rising energy costs. Her average monthly electricity bill has surged from approximately £30 before the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine energy crisis to around £90 now.
“I’m housebound due to my disability, and keeping my circulation going is challenging,” she lamented. “I can’t bear to think about what the future holds. I’m just hoping there won’t be any more cold snaps.”
Winter Fuel Payments: A Lifeline for Pensioners
In July, Reeves made the controversial decision to eliminate universal winter fuel payments, aiming to save £1.4 billion annually as the new Labour Government sought to address a financial shortfall. Instead, the Chancellor has limited the annual energy bill support payment, which ranges from £200 to £300 per household, exclusively to pensioners receiving means-tested benefits, including pension credit.
This drastic change led to a significant uptick in pension credit claims, with around 150,000 individuals applying to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) within 16 weeks following Reeves’s announcement. Carole applied for pension credit in hopes of qualifying for the winter fuel payment and other assistance, but unfortunately, she was denied as her income slightly exceeded the threshold.
“I was informed that I was £15 a week over the limit, which feels absurd—it’s incredibly frustrating,” the 87-year-old remarked, having sought guidance from Age UK. Pension credit is designed to supplement weekly income to £218.15 for single individuals and £332.95 for couples living below those thresholds. However, some individuals may still qualify for pension credit despite having higher incomes, depending on factors such as disabilities, savings, and housing costs.
Carole criticized Labour’s decision to abolish universal winter fuel payments, declaring it “awful” and asserting that Keir Starmer’s Government “seems indifferent to the plight of the elderly.” She added, “The winter fuel payment was vital for me. It made a significant difference. Many people are suffering; they should reinstate it and remove the means-testing.”
Earlier this month, The i Paper reported on the numerous struggling pensioners who will need to wait until spring to determine their eligibility for pension credit and winter fuel payments. Welfare experts anticipate a significant backlog of 74,000 pension credit claims that had accumulated by mid-January could take several months for the DWP to process.
“Many individuals are enduring hardships and are not eligible for pension credit; I can’t fathom how people will cope,” Carole remarked. “It’s appalling that some are still waiting to learn if they will receive assistance.” Energy bills are projected to rise again in April following an increase in the price cap, further straining vulnerable older adults who have had to limit their heating expenses in recent weeks.
Calls for Expanded Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments
This week, the Government announced that an additional 2.7 million households will qualify for the warm home discount scheme, which provides a £150 discount on energy bills next winter. Charities welcomed this initiative but urged ministers to urgently broaden the eligibility criteria for winter fuel payments, ensuring that more vulnerable pensioners can access this support next winter.
Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director, expressed her support for the warm home discount extension and Ofgem’s proposals aimed at providing relief for energy bill debt. However, she cautioned that these measures “will not suffice on their own to empower older individuals on low and modest incomes—along with those facing high energy costs due to illness or disability—to confidently run their heating during cold weather.”
Abrahams suggested that the Government should extend winter fuel payments to older people receiving a broader range of benefits beyond just pension credit or introduce a social tariff to provide discounted energy rates to all low-income households.
Joanna Elson, Chief Executive of Independent Age, emphasized that the charity “hears from older individuals daily” who have been left out of the winter fuel payment despite living on limited incomes. “Like Carole, they have been forced to endure freezing temperatures in their homes or cut back on necessities like food. This situation is unacceptable.”
A Government spokesperson stated their commitment to supporting pensioners, emphasizing that millions are “set to see their state pension increase by up to £1,900 during this parliament due to our commitment to the triple lock.” They added, “Many others will continue to benefit from the warm home discount, and we have extended the household support fund to assist with heating, food, and bill costs. Last year, Energy UK, in collaboration with the Government, announced a £500 million winter 2024 commitment to support billpayers throughout this winter.”
