Charity bosses have been “overwhelmed” by the number of older people seeking help following the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment and news of an energy bill increase.
Age UK says it has seen a 40 percent increase in calls to its helpline and a 200 percent rise in the number using its online benefits calculator.
The charity warned that some two million elderly people “will be significantly worse off” this winter and some are in a “terrible state”.
Campaigners have warned that the combination of higher bills and losing the Winter Fuel Payment, which is worth up to £300, will be a death sentence for some sick and elderly people.
The chief executive of Age UK, Paul Farmer, has called on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to immediately reverse a decision to axe the Winter Fuel Payment.
Unless there is a U-turn some 10 million pensioners will no longer get the payment which would be restricted to elderly people with incomes under £11,300 who qualify for Pension Credit.
There are concerns that approaching 1m older people who are eligible for Pension Credit are currently not receiving it. As a result, they will also miss out on the vital Winter Fuel Payment.
Separately, there is another large group – around 1m – whose income puts them just above the threshold at which Pension Credit would be paid.
Mr Farmer said: “We are extremely concerned about the 2m people who will miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment in particular this year.
“This announcement was far too quick to give older people the chance to make the changes they need, but also for the system to be able to cope with what is almost certainly going to happen.”
He said the announcement on Friday of a 10 percent increase in energy tariffs this winter “is a further terrible blow for the many older people who are really going to struggle this winter”.
Mr Farmer said Age UK has been “overwhelmed” by the number of calls from pensioners worried about how to stay warm and keep the lights on this winter.
“We have had a 40 percent increase in calls to our national advice service and a 200 percent increase in use of our online benefits calculator,” he said.
“I heard yesterday about a called aged 73 who is just above the Pension Credit eligibility line. This gentleman was in a terrible state. He said he had broken down in tears several times as a result of this news.”
He said many elderly people are losing a £300 cost of living support payment as well as the Winter Fuel Payment, which can be worth £200-£300.
“Around 2m people will be significantly worse off,” said Mr Farmer.
“We want the Chancellor to reverse this particular decision at this particular moment because of the unintended consequences on these 2m people is too great.”
He said there is an argument in the medium term to rethink how the money to support people with energy bills is distributed. But he said any proposals should also consider other factors, such as the introduction of a cheap social tariff for all struggling households and support for home insulation to help people cut energy use and bills.
Mr Farmer, who was speaking to the Radio 4 Today programme, said there is a group of people in their 70s, 80s and 90s who are unable to find any way to increase their income to cope with high energy bills.
He said applying for Pension Credit, which can be done online, is difficult and is made up of 240 questions. “We know that a lot of people in this group struggle with digital access. There are many barriers in the way to fill in this particular form,” he said.
Mr Farmer said Age UK does not have the capacity to help large numbers of older people to apply for the Pension Credit they are entitled to.
The chief executive of Energy UK, which speaks for retailers, Emma Pinchbeck, said it would be wrong to think the companies people buy gas and electricity from are profiteering.
She suggested it was companies further up the supply chain – gas producers and electricity generators – who have been cashing in.
Ms Pinchbeck said: “It is true that oil and gas companies and others who sell gas have made big profits through the energy crisis. That is often what you see when you are hearing stories of record profits.”
She said energy retailers do offer support to customers struggling to pay their bills, adding: “You should be contacting your supplier in the first instance if you are worried about paying your bill.”
