Pension Credit campaign launched by DWP after Winter Fuel Payments cut

The Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) has urged 1000’s of pensioners to examine that they’re claiming Pension Credit score this winter amid main modifications made to the Winter Gas Fee final month.

An estimated 800,000 pensioners should not claiming the means-tested profit regardless of being eligible. Pension Credit score tops the weekly earnings of all folks aged 66 and over to £218.15, or £332.95 if in a pair.

The notice drive comes after Rachel Reeves introduced final month that the federal government can be reducing the yearly Winter Gas Fee in order that solely these claiming Pension Credit score are eligible.

This marked the primary change to the profit since 1997, when it was launched and made accessible for all pensioners. It gives as much as £300 per family to assist in the direction of heating prices within the winter.

The chancellor says altering the eligibility of the Winter Gas Fee was essential to plug the federal government’s multi-billion pound “black gap” between spending commitments and the money accessible to satisfy them.

Launching the notice marketing campaign, she mentioned: “The dire state of the general public funds we inherited from the earlier authorities means we’ve needed to make some very troublesome selections.

“Our dedication to supporting pensioners stays, which is why we’re sustaining the triple lock.

“We wish pensioners to get the assist they’re entitled to. That’s why I urge all pensioners to examine whether or not they’re eligible for Pension Credit score.”

The DWP describes Pension Credit score as a “passport” profit, opening the door to extra monetary assist than simply the top-up. This contains Housing Profit, assist with mortgages, a free TV licence – and now the Winter Gas Fee.

The federal government’s marketing campaign comes as a part of its annual ‘Pension Credit score Week of Motion’ set to begin in September. The DWP says it would purpose to determine households the place Pension Credit score isn’t being taken up, and deal with a number of the “myths” which will cease folks making use of.

The deadline to make a backdated declare for Pension Credit score and nonetheless obtain the Winter Gas Fee is December 21. Eligible pensioners can apply on the federal government’s web site.

Nevertheless, eligibility isn’t tapered: if a pensioner receives even £50 over the Pension Credit score earnings, they won’t qualify for the profit, nor all the extra assist that comes with it

Age UK says there are round a million pensioners on this state of affairs, leaving them unable to say the Winter Gas Fee regardless of incomes not more than £14,000. The outdated age charity has launched a marketing campaign to reverse Ms Reeves’ modifications, with just below 420,000 petition signatures to this point.

Responding to the DWP’s consciousness marketing campaign, Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK mentioned: “We’re delighted the Authorities is launching a communications drive to encourage older folks to say Pension Credit score and at Age UK we will definitely do the whole lot we will to assist it.

“Nevertheless, in all honesty we don’t consider it is not going to be sufficient to realize the dramatic improve in Pension Credit score take up that’s wanted, within the brief time accessible for pensioners to safe their entitlement to Winter Gas Fee earlier than the climate chills.

“Plus, nonetheless profitable this train seems to be – hopefully very – there’ll nonetheless be over 1,000,000 older folks set to undergo actual hardship because of the choice to means-test Winter Gas Fee, since they’re ineligible for Pension Credit score as their meagre incomes are just a bit too excessive. Because of this we have now urged the Authorities to assume once more.”

Ms Abrahams factors to the truth that Pension Credit score take up has by no means exceeded two-thirds previously decade – even when it was modified in 2015 to offer a free TV licence – that means the newest marketing campaign is unlikely to enhance the determine.

“Nevertheless powerful the financial decisions the Authorities faces could also be, certainly there must be a greater approach than adopting a coverage that we worry is ready to additional impoverish a considerable group of pensioners on low incomes this winter, probably placing their well being in addition to their monetary wellbeing in danger,” she provides.

For a information to all the assistance accessible to pensioners this winter, The Impartial has a helpful explainer