Martin Lewis warns pensioners will 'never' receive £11,300 they are owed

Martin Lewis has warned pensioners will "never" receive the £11,300 they are owed. The BBC Sounds podcast host appeared on ITV Good Morning Britain today, discussing the Labour Party government's decision to limit £300 Winter Fuel Payment.

Martin said: "OK, so there is 880,000 people who are eligible for Pension Credit who are NOT claiming - the Pension Week of Awareness has happened and the increase has gone from 18,000 to 38,000.

"That is an extra 20,000 over five weeks - if they continue to do that over the next few months, that's 60,000 people so that leaves 800,000 people who are eligible and not claiming. Most people who will claim it ARE claiming it. You have people too proud to take it, many people who are elderly who have onset dementia who will NEVER claim this payment.

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"Even if the government set up a three digit phone number - to make it easier - or one-on-one sessions - if you got down to 700,000 people not claiming then you would be doing well." Mr Lewis said it will hurt "the poorest pensioners".

He appeared via video link to Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on Tuesday September 10. Speaking to Times Radio, Lewis called on the Chancellor to put policies in motion which will allow vulnerable pensioners to access additional support during the winter months.

He explained "If you ask me, do I support ending universality of the winter fuel payment where we’re in tough economic stretches, yes, I support ending universality. But do I support a very tight means testing that is also ineffective even for the poorest pensioners? No, I don’t support it. The system that’s being put in place is not fair, is not just, and it is unnecessarily punitive to the poorest pensioners, and it needs tweaking.

"I don't feel particularly optimistic. I think that for some reason the government has nailed its colours to the mask on this one and said ‘we’re doing it’, and I’m worried."