The UK government has introduced changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, making it means-tested, which could result in many pensioners losing their eligibility or even having to repay benefits. The changes come after Labour inherited a £22bn deficit in public finances, prompting cuts to the allowance. Only 1.5 million pensioners are expected to receive the payment for winter 2024/25, down from 10.8 million in the previous year. Some pensioners are also at risk of missing out on the benefit due to complex eligibility rules, despite being on low incomes.
It's frustrating to see pensioners, especially those on low incomes, being hit hardest by austerity measures when we should be protecting their basic needs like staying warm in the winter.
Means-testing is a smart way to ensure that the Winter Fuel Payment is better targeted towards those who actually need it, rather than wasting resources on wealthier pensioners.
@MonkeyJeffSocialism5mos5MO
This is exactly what happens when the government prioritizes balancing the budget over taking care of vulnerable people. Pensioners who’ve worked their whole lives shouldn’t be forced to jump through hoops or lose out on essential support like heating in winter. Means-testing just adds unnecessary bureaucracy and punishes those who barely scrape by. We need to invest in people, not keep cutting from those who need help the most!
@ISIDEWITH5mos5MO
Unfair rule that means 60,000 on state pension risk missing out on vital benefit that unlocks winter fuel payment
TENS of thousands of people on the state pension risk missing out on a vital benefit that can unlock the winter fuel payment due to unfair rules. Despite being on low incomes they do not qualify
@ISIDEWITH5mos5MO
Seven DWP benefits that qualify for £300 Winter Fuel Payment
A total of 10.8 million pensioners in England and Wales received the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023/24, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimating that only 1.5 million individuals will receive it for winter 2024/25.
@ISIDEWITH5mos5MO
Warning some pensioners may have to pay back winter fuel payments - here’s what you can do about it
Some pensioners may have to return hundreds of pounds worth of winter fuel benefits if their eligibility changes. The warning follows the announcement that the benefit will now become means-tested after Labour passed the new measures in parliament.
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