Why is the Winter Fuel Payment so important?

It may well be the start of the summer holidays, but at Age UK, our work continues all year round and never stops. 

As a national charity with a high profile, we have many responsibilities. We have to be honest with ourselves about what how we can best speak truth to power. 

Ensuring older people’s voices are heard

As charities we are not party political, but that doesn’t mean we don’t campaign, or seek to represent the views of older people to the Government and opposition parties.

During the election campaign, we supported many older people to quiz their candidates about their commitments. And this week, we've highlighted older people's experiences as we responded to the Chancellor’s statement, which has removed the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners. 

Protecting the Winter Fuel Payment for struggling pensioners

We believe the decision to make the Winter Fuel Payment means-tested is the wrong one at the wrong time. Why? Many older people who have financial security will say they don’t really need it. But there are also many older people who do – about two million, in fact. 

Those two million people come from three groups that we’re worried about. The 800,000 pensioner families who are eligible for Pension Credit but aren’t receiving it – perhaps because they don’t know they’re eligible, don’t want to ask for help or don’t realise how much they might have to gain from applying.

Some may also find it difficult to fill in the application form for Pension Credit – a benefit that many will need to receive in order to receive the Winter Fuel Payment under the proposed changes.

There are also around a million people who find themselves just above the threshold for eligibility for Pension Credit and who won’t be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, but still for whom £300 each winter would make a huge difference.

And there are also a group of older people whose health conditions mean they need to stay warm to stay well, and who rely on extra funds to cover those costs.

There’s no doubt the Pension Credit system needs reform so it is fair for all. There’s no doubt that we need better cohesion between the benefits system and health and social care services. And there’s equally no doubt that this can’t happen before the leaves disappear from the trees and the frosts set in. 

So when we publicly oppose a Government initiative, we do so to influence the debate and ultimately the policy.  We do that by gathering up the lived experiences of older people, the intelligence of Age UK's network of local partners and of our national services, and the expertise of our policy and campaigning team. Our purpose is to ensure that older people are valued – in this case specifically by having equal access to the Winter Fuel Payment.