Only people receiving certain benefits will get the payment this winter (Image: undefined)
Claims for Pension Credit have increased by 145% since the Government announced it would means test the , figures released on Thursday have shown. Some 150,000 people have applied for the benefit in the 16 weeks since the announcement on July 29, compared to just 61,300 who applied in the 16 weeks before the announcement.
The number of claims awarded rose by 17% to 42,500, while the number of claims refused almost doubled to 53,100. It means tens of thousands more people will now get the payment. However, the 42.500 is less than 5% of the 880,000 people the Government said were missing out on the benefit in July.
The Department for Work and Pensions has pushed people to check their eligibility for Pension Credit in the wake of the Government’s decision to make the means-tested. Previously, all pensioners qualified, with those born between September 23, 1944, and September 22, 1958, receiving £200 and those born before September 23, 1944, getting £300.
However, the decision taken by Labour after it came to power in July meant that only people receiving certain benefits would get the payment for this winter. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the move would save around £1.5 billion and was needed to help fill a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances that Labour claims was left by the previous Conservative government.
The increase represents a 145% rise in claims compared with the 16 weeks before the Chancellor’s announcement. But the number of approvals has risen by just 17% over the same period, while refusals almost doubled from 27,100 to 53,100.
The figures come as Britain endures a cold snap, with the having issuing cold health warnings for northern England and the Midlands on Tuesday. The Government continues to urge pensioners to check if they are eligible for pension credit.
Those who apply before December 21 will receive backdated payments of both pension credit and the winter fuel allowance, and the Department for Work and Pensions has deployed 500 extra staff to handle claims for the benefit.
Pensions minister Emma Reynolds said: “We’re pleased to see more pensioners are now receiving pension credit and our staff are processing claims as quickly as possible. With December 21 approaching, my message is clear: check if you are eligible for pension credit and if you are then apply, as it unlocks a range of benefits, including the .”
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Who qualifies for DWP Winter Fuel Payment
To qualify, pensioners must also live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and get one of the following:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You’ll also need to have been getting a benefit during the qualifying week of September 16 to 22, 2024. Scotland has a separate scheme.