Mapped: Where 800,000 pensioners missed out on the winter fuel payment
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners missed out on winter fuel payments last year despite becoming eligible after Labor changes, new data has revealed.
Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show more than 830,000 eligible households across the UK are not claiming pension credit; This means they will have missed out on their winter fuel payment last year after being linked to this benefit.
Labor has now partially reversed this decision, making the changed criteria a one-off. But the data, broken down by region for the first time, has revealed the extent to which retired households did not exercise their entitlements last winter.
The decision to limit the winter fuel payment (worth £200 or £300) to only those who received pension credit last year was criticized by campaigners at the time, given the historically low claim rate for benefits. Despite being worth around £4,000 a year, pension credit take-up has hovered between 61 and 66 per cent over the decade.
The retirement loan, which 1.4 million people applied for, was designed to increase the funds of low-income retirees to a livable level. Under the current entitlement, claimants will see their income rise to at least £227.10 per week.
The DWP’s analysis, the first of its kind, also reveals regional disparities in the receipt of aid. This shows that the South West lost the most, with a take rate of 55 per cent, while the take rate in the North East was 71 per cent.
At a local level, the council with the least eligible retirees applied was the Cotswold, with just 44 per cent, while the most eligible was Tower Hamlets in London, with 83 per cent.
Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said: “Pension credit is a simple way to give extra support to those who need it most, whether through bills or a free TV licence.
“I would encourage anyone who thinks they or someone they know might be able to claim Pension Credit to take a few minutes out of their day to check and apply. This country’s pensioners deserve every penny they are entitled to.”
According to the DWP, an additional 56,700 households have received the benefit following the announcement of changes to the winter fuel payment in an effort to boost pension credit take-up. This will be followed by a new hearing of letters sent to 2,000 pensioners across the UK.
But campaigners insisted more needed to be done to ensure this vital benefit was provided to the country’s poorest pensioners. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Sadly, the latest Government figures show that Pension Credit uptake has fallen and the average unclaimed amount has risen significantly, meaning those who need it most are still not getting the money they rightfully deserve.
“We welcome the government’s new analysis, which looks specifically at parts of the country where people are missing out. This applies to older people living in rural areas. This could be due to isolation, lack of access to services or poor digital connectivity.”
“It is vital that people up and down the country have advice services they can access to help them claim their rights, especially as applications are going in the wrong direction.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “We ran our biggest ever Pension Credit campaign across print, broadcast and online to boost participation, benefiting an additional 57,200 pensioners.
“We have also carried out an analysis of the regional distribution of Pension Credit to enable us to better target those who are not currently claiming, including a trial sending 2,000 targeted letters in partnership with Independent Age and Age UK; the £35,000 income threshold ensures that pensioners who need Winter Fuel Payment support most will receive it.”
