DWP refuses 270,000 Pension Credit applications with Winter Fuel Payment at risk

Winter Fuel Payment is at risk as 270,000 Pension Credit applications are REFUSED by the Department for Work and Pensions. Research conducted by wealth management firm Quilter suggests that thousands of state pensioners are likely to miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment from the DWP as a result.

From the 2019/20 tax year up to July 2024, the Government received a total of 848,973 Pension Credit claims from older people. Over the period, only 572,565 claims out of this sum were awarded were awarded which means only around two-thirds of claims were successful over the period.

Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, warned Labour's "difficult decisions" will likely impacted the poorest members of Britain's society. He explained: "Low-income pensioners, who might just miss out on qualifying for pension credit and, consequently now, the winter fuel payment, are particularly at risk despite not being wealthy.

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“Another worry about the new policy is that many pensioners may still be unaware of their eligibility for Pension Credit. It is evident that when the Government actively promotes pension credit, there is a noticeable increase in the number of applicants, which is positive.

"However, with a third of pensioners who apply for Pension Credit being refused, there is considerable confusion over who is eligible." The government said: "This Government is committed to pensioners: protecting the triple lock, keeping energy bills low through our Warm Homes Plan, and cutting NHS waiting lists – bringing real stability to people’s lives.

“We said we would be honest with the public and, given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, this Government must take difficult decisions to fix the foundations of the economy.

“In these circumstances it is right that Winter Fuel Payments are targeted at those in most need, and we will work with Local Authorities to boost the uptake of Pension Credit, reaching the many pensioners who could still benefit from this year’s Winter Fuel Payments.”