Thousands looking for help to hang on to winter fuel payment flood The Sun’s helpline

THOUSANDS of Sun readers flooded our Winter Fuel SOS helpline yesterday looking for assistance to bent connected to the payment.

Our experts explained to pensioners that they could inactive beryllium eligible to the allowance, worthy £300, if they person Pension Credit.

The panel — including Baroness Ros Altmann and Sir Steve Webb — besides offered proposal connected cutting vigor bills.

One caller, a 73-year-old antheral connected a authorities pension, told however helium was disquieted helium would narrowly miss retired connected qualifying for Pension Credit but has small spare income astatine the extremity of each month.

He said: “I voted for this Government and past they instantly turned circular and did this without warning.

“I americium truly disappointed. I person worked each my beingness and paid into the system.”

Another disquieted caller said she already receives Pension Credit, but tin lone spend 1 ablution a week arsenic she is connected a h2o meter.

Many readers were baffled astir whether they are eligible for Pension Credit.

Our experts are moving done each of our readers’ queries to effort to find adjuvant solutions, specified arsenic however to use for Pension Credit oregon unafraid amended deals connected bills.

If you called the helpline, which is present closed, you volition get a telephone backmost wrong a week.

Neil, 80, from Balmullo, Fife, called the helpline yesterday. He said: “I americium precise grateful to The Sun for doing this.

“I don’t usage the net truthful it was truly adjuvant to talk to idiosyncratic connected the telephone and get assistance moving retired if I mightiness suffice for Pension Credit.”

Ten cardinal older radical were affected erstwhile Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced successful July that lone households successful England and Wales that person Pension Credit oregon definite means-tested benefits volition beryllium entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment.

Before this the allowance was disposable to everyone implicit the property of 66.