The UK government has disclosed that an estimated 780,000 pensioners in England and Wales face the loss of winter fuel benefits. The news comes as the Department for Work and Pensions released estimates under freedom of information laws, which revealed that many of those eligible for pension credit would not claim, and would therefore miss out on the fuel subsidy. These people would still be able to claim the benefit if they apply for pension credit and other benefits. Nevertheless, under the changes, around 10 million claimants are expected to lose the payment. Conservative Party chair, Richard Fuller, has called for the impact of the cuts to be assessed.
The government has claimed that more than a million pensioners will still qualify for the winter fuel payment. A Treasury spokesman also said that the government was trying to encourage eligible pensioners to apply for pension credit. Although the government estimates that around 100,000 more people will do so, almost three-quarters of a million eligible people will still not submit a claim, according to the DWP’s internal analysis.
According to the figures, up to 90% of pensioners aged between 66 and 79 and up to 80% of those aged over 80 could lose their allowances. Those over 80 will be the hardest hit while disabled people are most likely to retain the benefit. Critics have denounced the government for failing to conduct a full impact assessment before implementing the cuts. The DWP has described the document as more limited than a full impact assessment.
Last week, the government claimed it had not conducted a full assessment of the cuts’ impact on those affected. Calls for an impact assessment had been made by opposition parties and former Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, described the failure to carry one out as “an absolute insult to the countless pensioners who are set to suffer because of this government”. Speaking on Thursday, Keir Starmer of the Labour Party argued that whilst the winter fuel payment cuts were necessary, the government needed to put mitigations in place
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