Pension credit applications rise after cut in winter fuel payments

Applications for pension recognition - allowing low-income pensioners to besides person wintertime substance payments - person seen a crisp emergence since the authorities announced cost-cutting plans.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has withdrawn the substance payments from 10 cardinal pensioners, to assistance screen what she called a £22bn achromatic spread successful the nationalist finances.

The determination announced successful July has led to 150,000 applications for pension recognition being submitted since, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

But lone 42,500 person been successful, with thousands being rejected and others awaiting a decision.

Most radical volition beryllium eligible for the new, means-tested wintertime substance outgo lone if they person registered archetypal to person pension credit.

Some 150,000 applications for pension recognition person been submitted successful the 16 weeks since July 29, erstwhile the chancellor made her announcement.

That was a 145% summation compared with the erstwhile 16 weeks. However, the fig of radical being awarded pension recognition has lone accrued by 17% implicit the aforesaid period.

The precocious fig of rejections could beryllium radical failing to conscionable the criteria, oregon failing to taxable the 24-page, 223-question signifier properly.

The fig of caller applications represents a tiny fraction of the 880,000 pensioners estimated to person been eligible for the payment but who had not enactment successful a claim.

Those who use earlier 21 December volition person backdated payments of some pension recognition and the wintertime substance allowance, and the DWP has deployed 500 other unit to grip claims for the benefit.

Pensions curate Emma Reynolds said: "We're pleased to spot much pensioners are present receiving pension recognition and our unit are processing claims arsenic rapidly arsenic possible.

"With December 21 approaching, my connection is clear: cheque if you are eligible for pension recognition and if you are past apply, arsenic it unlocks a scope of benefits including the wintertime substance payment."

However, campaigners and absorption parties person been captious of delays.

The government's ain information suggests a 10-week emblematic hold betwixt an exertion being submitted and a last decision.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said the figures were a "damning indictment of the government's nonaccomplishment to support pensioners this winter".

"Millions of susceptible pensioners are inactive acceptable to suffer their wintertime substance outgo conscionable arsenic the acold upwind bites," she said.

The changed wintertime substance outgo argumentation remains nether continued scrutiny. The Unite national is pushing up with ineligible action aimed astatine overturning it.

In Scotland, ministers announced extra measures to assistance those acceptable to miss out.

An estimated 880,000 low-income pensioner households eligible for pension recognition presently neglect to assertion it.

The authorities says it is worthy an mean of £3,900 a twelvemonth and claiming it tin suffice radical for different fiscal enactment specified arsenic wintertime substance payments.

You tin cheque your eligibility for pension recognition via the government's online calculator.

Information is besides disposable connected however to make a claim. There is besides a telephone enactment disposable connected weekdays - 0800 99 1234.

There is simply a usher to benefits, erstwhile you suffice and what to bash if thing goes wrong, provided by the autarkic MoneyHelper website, backed by government.

Benefits calculators are besides tally by Policy successful Practice, and charities Entitledto, and Turn2us.