Changes to winter fuel payments by Chancellor Rachel Reeves have created a massive backlog of claims, potentially leaving thousands of elderly people unable to afford heating this Christmas.
Tens of thousands of elderly people could face a stark choice between heating and eating this Christmas after changes to the rules surrounding winter fuel payments introduced by Rachel Reeves created a huge backlog of claims. The chancellor announced this summer that claims for the allowance, which is intended to help pensioners with energy bills and is worth up to £300, would be largely limited to people eligible for pension credit.
The change resulted in a surge of pension credit claims that has overwhelmed Whitehall, creating a pile-up of 91,075 unprocessed applications as of 18 November, according to Emma Reynolds, the pensions minister. Figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions put the number closer to 150,000, however. To deal with a backlog that is growing daily, the DWP has put 500 extra staff in place, but the risk remains that tens of thousands of claims will remain outstanding heading into the new year. Reeves curbed winter fuel payments in July, announcing that the allowance, previously available to all pensioners, would become means-tested. About 10 million people who were eligible for the allowance were disqualified at a stroke under the rule change, which is is expected to save the Treasury £1.4 billion. While the chancellor has defended the move as 'necessary and urgent', it has sparked a huge backlash among Labour MPs, 52 of whom abstained when a motion to block the change was put to the vote in September. Protesters gathered outside Parliament in October for a demonstration, organised by the Unite union, at which they demanded the reversal of changes to winter fuel allowance eligibility The prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, left, and Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, have come under fire over the stricter eligibility criteria for winter fuel payments Winter fuel allowance protesters are seen outside Parliament in Octobe
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