18th September 2024
Changes to Winter Fuel Payments: Information from Citizens Advice Essex
As you may be aware, the government has recently announced that Winter Fuel Payments will now only be made to pensioners receiving Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits. The withdrawal of universal support is expected to affect up to 10 million pensioners nationwide, leaving many at greater risk of fuel poverty as they face rising energy costs without additional support. Those who could be entitled to Pension Credit but have not claimed it are those likely to be at risk of the most significant detriment. Now claiming would not only help them retain the Winter Fuel Payment but also increase their income – in some cases, especially for pensioners who are ill or disabled – very significantly indeed.
Various estimates suggest that over 800,000 eligible pensioner households across the UK are not claiming Pension Credit despite being entitled to it. This is due to several factors, including stigma, a lack of awareness or cultural or language barriers. In Essex, this issue is particularly significant, as shown in the estimates for unclaimed annual Pension Credit income, :
- Basildon: £5,517,859 unclaimed by 2,201 pensioner households
- Braintree: £3,397,223 unclaimed by 1,546 pensioner households
- Brentwood: £1,724,095 unclaimed by 662 pensioner households
- Castle Point: £2,860,701 unclaimed by 1,215 pensioner households
- Chelmsford: £3,503,477 unclaimed by 1,393 pensioner households
- Colchester: £4,419,299 unclaimed by 1,686 pensioner households
- Epping Forest: £4,037,662 unclaimed by 1,482 pensioner households
- Harlow: £2,511,164 unclaimed by 991 pensioner households
- Maldon: £1,687,340 unclaimed by 751 pensioner households
- Rochford: £1,907,227 unclaimed by 849 pensioner households
- Tendring: £6,759,182 unclaimed by 2,868 pensioner households
- Uttlesford: £1,534,400 unclaimed by 661 pensioner households
Across the Greater Essex area, it is estimated that over £51 million of annual Pension Credit income is not being claimed by more than 20,000 pensioner households.
As the lead charity for the Citizens Advice service across Essex, Southend, and Thurrock, Citizens Advice Essex is committed to addressing this issue. We believe it is more important than ever to help eligible pensioners overcome the barriers to claiming Pension Credit. The Citizens Advice network in the county is already actively working to ensure that some of this underclaimed income is secured for pensioners through our mainstream services, as well as through a range of specialist services designed to tackle fuel poverty. With your support, we can extend our reach and help more pensioners to access the benefits they are entitled to.
To assist pensioners in claiming Pension Credit and other benefits, we encourage you to share the following contact numbers:
- For assistance and support claiming from the government helpline, individuals can call the Pension Credit Helpline on 0800 169 0133.
- For independent advice on all aspects of keeping warm and increasing income, the Citizens Advice Essex “Tackling Fuel Poverty Together” helpline can be reached on 0808 189 6550.
Our array of fuel poverty alleviation services are supported by UK Power Networks, Cadent, The British Gas Energy Trust and the Energy Redress Fund and work to both maximise income in the short term whilst helping our clients face ways of reducing their energy costs in the medium and long term.
We kindly ask you to consider how else we might work together to raise awareness of Pension Credit and support our older residents through this challenging time. By doing so, we can ensure vulnerable pensioners are not left without the financial support they desperately need to stay warm and healthy this winter.
Thank you for your attention and I would be pleased to hear from you and discussing with you how we can work together on this critically important issue.