6.6 million pensioners face harsh winter as fuel payments are axed, Age UK warns

Winter warning: Ms Abrahams has deed retired astatine the 'brutality' of slashing Winter Fuel Payments (Image: PA)

The “brutal” determination to axe OAP wintertime substance payments has sparked wide panic implicit rising vigor costs, investigation reveals.

Charity Age UK says 6.6 cardinal pensioners volition beryllium forced to crook down oregon trim the hours they usage heating astatine location and a further 1.2 cardinal slash the fig of blistery meals they devour to negociate financially.

The stark world facing those who person had their £300 yearly payments snatched from them comes aft the Department for Work and Pensions revealed 100,000 volition beryllium plunged into poorness successful 2026/27 arsenic a effect of the payment cull cuts.

Campaigners accidental Britain is sleepwalking towards a situation wherever older people, already connected debased and humble incomes, look a cleanable tempest of highly precocious vigor bills and sick health.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director astatine Age UK, said: “For those without overmuch wealth down them, vigor bills person go a root of existent fear.

“Knowing they were going to person their Winter Fuel Payment took immoderate of the anxiousness of unaffordable substance bills distant and this cosmopolitan entitlement was highly valued by pensioners arsenic a result. It’s rather wide that without it this year, truly important numbers of older radical volition beryllium showering oregon bathing less, turning their heating down oregon disconnected altogether, and successful immoderate cases eating less blistery meals.

“The Government’s argumentation alteration is already causing older radical hardship and undermining their wellness and, arsenic we get deeper into winter, realistically things are apt to get worse.”

Eat oregon heat: millions of frail and susceptible OAPs look a harsh wintertime without a substance handout (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

New probe for the foundation recovered 77 per cent of radical aged 66+ - adjacent to 9.2 cardinal - spent their outgo connected fuel-related costs similar heating homes, blistery h2o and moving household appliances past year.

More than one-third of older radical - adjacent to 4.4 cardinal - said they would find it hard to negociate financially without their WFP., rising to 53% for pensioners who are not presently eligible for the currency outgo this twelvemonth but who are receiving 1 oregon much different pensioner benefits similar assembly taxation support, lodging benefit, attendance allowance oregon carers allowance – indicating they are either apt to beryllium connected a debased income oregon surviving successful hard circumstances owed to disability, sick wellness oregon being a carer.

OAPs person until December 21 to assertion for pension recognition and besides suffice for a WFP this year. Applicants are entitled to inquire for their assertion to beryllium backdated for 3 months arsenic it is not done automatically by the DWP ensuring, if successful, they get a WFP payment.

A petition urging the Government to halt the hated currency drawback - opposed by galore of its ain MPs - has present reached 600,000 signatures.

Ms Abrahams said: “It’s nary astonishment to us, and it truly shouldn’t beryllium to anyone other either, that the large bulk of older radical spent their outgo connected energy-related costs past year. With substance prices having gone up truthful overmuch compared to 5 oregon 10 years ago, adjacent older radical who expected to beryllium comparatively comfy successful status person been impacted and forced to tighten their belts.

"Once again, we repetition our telephone to the Government to recognise the harm their determination to brutally means-test Winter Fuel Payment is causing millions of older radical and to bring successful measures to soften the blow.”

Baroness Altmann, a Peer and erstwhile Pensions Minister, called the Labour currency drawback 'crazy' (Image: Ros Altmann)

Baroness Ros Altmann, erstwhile Pensions Minister, said: “Treasury estimates of a 3.5% emergence successful state pension adjacent April cannot compensate the poorest pensioners for losing £200 oregon £300 this November.

“The poorest and oldest volition suffer hundreds of pounds now, and promising them a fewer other pounds a week adjacent outpouring is acold comfort. Sadly, immoderate volition not past done the coming months.

“The further wealth successful 2025 volition beryllium paid to each pensioner careless of need, but wintertime substance wealth is being taken distant from some those who don't request it and those who do.

“The Government said it had to prevention wealth and that galore pensioners were getting hundreds of pounds they didn't truly need, to warrant its daze decision, but it has besides taken the wealth from millions of the poorest pensioners too. These are the ones who volition beryllium deed by the nonaccomplishment of wintertime payments and who volition not beryllium helped by a fewer pounds a week coming betwixt April 2025 and 2026.

“The Government needs to deliberation again earlier this unsafe hasty determination causes existent harm this winter.”