Social Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel Payment

James Wild Excerpts

Tuesday 12th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Emma Reynolds]

The hon. Lady’s question allows me to focus on the communications around this change. It is not just about pension credit, but about people on working tax credit, child tax credit and other benefits. The committee was concerned about pensioners in receipt of child tax credit; pensioners should check whether they are eligible for other qualifying benefits for winter fuel payments, because it is quite a complicated system. It is not just about whether someone is already on pension credit.

[James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

The Government say that they want everyone who is eligible for pension credit to claim it and get it, but as the Social Security Advisory Committee points out, they expect only a 5% increase in uptake. Is the reality not that the Government need hundreds of thousands of pensioners not to claim this entitlement that they deserve, in order to make their figures add up and to cut £1.4 billion from winter fuel payments?

[Emma Reynolds]

I would be very pleased if all pensioners who are eligible for pension credit applied and received the help that they deserve.