State pensioners who earn more than £18,200 per year have been issued a ‘disappointing’ blow for this winter as they lose out on a £300 payment.
Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves previously announced in a widely unpopular move that Winter Fuel Payments of £200 to £300 per state pensioner are being axed for most people.
Instead, most state pensioners will not be able to claim the money, with eligibility narrowed to only a select few pensioners who are already claiming eligible benefits.
Today the Committee On Fuel Poverty has hit out at the government’s decision and issued a blow for anyone with income of more than £18,200 this winter.
The Committee on Fuel Poverty’s Miatta Fahnbulleh MP is now calling for other state pensioners to be given financial support this winter.
The changes mean that state pensioners in households with incomes over roughly £11,300 will not be able to claim Pension Credit and as a result, will not be eligible for the £300 Winter Fuel Payment this winter.
But the committee says the changes this winter will affect people earning up to £18,200.
She said: “After our meeting we were made aware of the Chancellor’s decision to withdraw the Winter Fuel Payment from all pensioners except those in receipt of Pension Credit. The Committee on Fuel Poverty has long supported better targeting of this payment. Whilst we recognise that the Government is facing some very hard financial choices, we were disappointed to find that the money withdrawn from Winter Fuel Payments was not being redirected to help those who most need support.
“We hope the department will examine whether there is a significant group of pensioners on low and fixed incomes outside the threshold chosen by the Chancellor who may suffer genuine hardship.
“Particularly, we would ask the Government to consider the impact on those pensioner households with annual incomes above the Pension Credit threshold up to £18,200.
“There are also up to 880,000 households who currently do not claim Pension Credit and previous campaigns have not been successful in significantly boosting take up.
“As winter approaches, with energy bills remaining above pre-pandemic levels, perhaps the department would consider whether any of the above income groups should receive some additional help this winter – specifically for bills. Some pensioners within each of these groups may suffer greater difficulty in paying for household energy. The impact may be most significant in single occupancy homes, with women particularly impacted.
“We would urge the Government to consider further the impacts of the Chancellor’s decision on those marginally above Pension Credit thresholds when considering appropriate preparation and support for those older people at risk of, or experiencing fuel poverty up to, and over, this winter.”
