In the UK, there are roughly 850,000 pensioners who are eligible for pension credit, but do not currently claim it.
The Government made big changes to the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, with the number of payments going from 11.4 million people to 1.5 million this winter.
This has rightly caused a lot of concern amongst many older people, who will struggle to heat their homes enough this winter with energy bills as costly as they are.
The only way to receive the Winter Fuel Payment now is if you are also in receipt of pension credit, it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible, if you think you are eligible.
Do you know an older person on a lower income who may be eligible for pension credit? It’s a good time to check in, offer help to check their availability and maybe some support to apply.
Be warned: the Pension Credit form is 24 pages long, with around 243 questions. Claims take a couple of months to process, and the Winter Fuel payments are made from November until Christmas.
Eligibility criteria and how to claim here: https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility
For more detailed analysis and advice on energy bills, community support and resources, check the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s website: https://www.cse.org.uk/news/winter-fuel-payment-changes/