780,000 eligible pensioners to lose out on fuel payment - DWP
Emily Atkinson
BBC News
Iain Watson
Political correspondent
Around 780,000 pensioners in England and Wales are set to lose their winter fuel allowance because they are not expected to apply for benefits they are entitled to, according to the government's own analysis.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates were released under freedom of information laws on Friday.
The "equalities analyses" predicted many people entitled to pension credit - and therefore eligible for fuel payments under the new rules - will not submit a claim, and therefore lose the subsidy altogether.
The disclosure comes after the government told opposition parties it had not carried out a full assessment of the policy's impact, amid calls for analysis to be released.
No 10 has previously said it was not legally obliged to produce a full impact assessment on the decision to means test the benefit.
Under the changes, winter fuel allowance will still be available to those claiming pension credit and some other benefits, but around 10 million people are set to be stripped of the payment.
A Treasury spokesman told the BBC that more than a million pensioners would still receive the winter fuel payment, and the government is encouraging people eligible for pension credit to apply.
However, the DWP's internal analysis confirms the government is expecting hundreds of thousands of eligible people to miss out.
The government estimates around 100,000 more people could be persuaded to claim pension credit, but more than three quarters of a million pensioners who are eligible are still not expected to submit a claim, the document confirmed.
The analysis also suggested that nine in 10 pensioners aged between 66 and 79 would lose their allowance, and eight in 10 over 80s would do so.
Since those over 80 receive a higher payment - £300 as opposed to £200 - they would take the greatest financial hit, it said.
The analysis also found that while those with a disability would be most likely to retain the payment, around 71% will still lose their entitlement.
Conservative Party chairman Richard Fuller called on Labour to "immediately" conduct and publish a full impact assessment of "this harmful policy", accusing the government of having "sneaked out" the analysis.
Previously, the Liberal Democrats said not carrying out an impact assessment before cutting support was "absolutely unthinkable".
Speaking on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer said the decision to cut winter fuel payments was necessary to stabilise the economy, and that the government was putting "mitigations in place".
The DWP said the document - which is more limited than a full impact assessment - was not "routinely published alongside secondary legislation" after it was published in response to a Freedom of Information request.
The Tories maintained pressure on Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves over the means-testing of pensioners’ winter fuel payments.
PA Wire
David Hughe
Sir Keir Starmer’s government faced accusations of trying to hide from the “horrific” impact of the decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.
More than 80% of people aged 80 and over will lose out, as will more than 70% of pensioners.
Even among those who should still receive the payments, worth up to £300, an estimated 780,000 will miss out because they have not claimed pension credit.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves blamed a ‘black hole’ in the public finances for the decision to means-test the payment (Lucy North/PA)
PA Wire
The figures were quietly slipped out on Friday night, which shadow Treasury chief secretary Laura Trott said was a “downright disgrace”.
Downing Street has said that a full impact assessment of the change, coming into effect this year, has not been carried out.
The Department for Work and Pensions released figures, published in response to a freedom of information request, are based on “equality analyses” which “are not impact assessments and not routinely published alongside secondary legislation”.
From this winter, only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive the payments, while about 10 million others are set to be stripped of the allowance.
The Government has insisted the move is necessary to help fill a “£22 billion black hole” in the public finances inherited from the Tory government.
Around 71% of those with a disability and 83% of those aged 80 or over will now miss out on the payment.
However, in its FOI response, the DWP said that while those with a disability will be disproportionately likely to retain the payment, “around 71% – 1.6 million – of people with a disability will still lose entitlement”.
UK Government accused of trying to hide ‘horrific’ impact of winter fuel squeeze
Sir Keir Starmer’s government faced accusations of trying to hide from the “horrific” impact of the decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.
More than 80% of people aged 80 and over will lose out, as will more than 70% of pensioners.
Even among those who should still receive the payments, worth up to £300, an estimated 780,000 will miss out because they have not claimed pension credit.
The figures were quietly slipped out on Friday night, which shadow Treasury chief secretary Laura Trott said was a “downright disgrace”.
Downing Street has said that a full impact assessment of the change, coming into effect this year, has not been carried out.
‘Equality analyses’
The Department for Work and Pensions released figures, published in response to a freedom of information request, are based on “equality analyses” which “are not impact assessments and not routinely published alongside secondary legislation”.
From this winter, only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive the payments, while about 10 million others are set to be stripped of the allowance.
The Government has insisted the move is necessary to help fill a “£22 billion black hole” in the public finances inherited from the Tory government.
Around 71% of those with a disability and 83% of those aged 80 or over will now miss out on the payment.
However, in its FOI response, the DWP said that while those with a disability will be disproportionately likely to retain the payment, “around 71% – 1.6 million – of people with a disability will still lose entitlement”.
And about 880,000 people currently set to lose the benefit this year are pensioners entitled to pension credit who have not claimed it, according to the analysis.
The assessment assumes a five percentage point “loss aversion” increase in pension credit take-up, which the DWP said then cuts the number of eligible pensioners failing to claim to about 780,000.
The DWP said: “The Government has followed its legal and statutory duties ahead of introducing these changes and will continue to do so.”
‘Damning’
Ms Trott said: “The publication of these analyses is a damning indictment of this entire Labour government.
“Not only do these reports confirm that thousands of pensioners will suffer this winter as a result of Rachel Reeves’ cold-hearted decision, but they were also hidden until after Labour forced their MPs to vote through this cut.
“It is a downright disgrace.
“Labour has cut winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners knowing the horrific impact it will have, but they will not be able to hide from the consequences of it. We will bring them to task every step of the way.”
The revelations have reignited a row over the policy, which has been attacked by both unions and opposition critics as it sets out to strip about 10 million pensioners of the support with their energy bills.
The Government has said the measures are expected to save about £1.3 billion in the first year.
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