Pensioners face delays for vital winter fuel payments

Pensioners are facing waits of more than 100 days to secure their winter fuel payment as Labour reforms put a major strain on the Department for Work and Pensions.

- ALBERT TOTH, DAVID MADDOX

An investigation by The Independent has uncovered dozens of cases where pensioners face a wait of more than three months for the benefit, with many more feared to be in a similar situation.

Welfare advisers from several organisations have said that these long waiting times have become a serious issue, with little recourse available through Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) agents. The delays mean that many of those who are eligible and applied in good time are still unlikely to receive the payment until 2025.

The issue follows changes announced by Rachel Reeves in late July, with only those in receipt of pension credit eligible for the winter fuel payment. In previous years, all pensioners would receive the payment every winter.

The DWP says the change has sparked a major increase in pension credit claims, with about 150,000 made in the 16 weeks since the chancellor’s announcement. This is up from 61,300 in the previous 16 weeks.

Around 500 staff have been brought in by the department to process claims faster, but there is still a massive backlog to form. By the middle of November, there were 91,075 outstanding claims.

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: “The benefits system was never designed to cope with such an upsurge in demand and the Treasury should have factored that in before pressing ahead with their ill-fated reform.”

Christopher Hewett, 69, has been waiting over 120 days for a decision on his pension credit claim. After hearing about the changes to the winter fuel payment, the Norfolk resident says he “applied straight away” and was informed by the DWP that he would hear back by October.