MPs will vote next week ahead of the government’s legislative plans to change the eligibility policy for Winter Fuel Payment.
From September 16, only people over State Pension age in receipt of a means-tested benefit, such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit, will qualify for the annual heating bill help, which is worth between £100 and £300.
The rule change is expected to see the number of pensioners receive a Winter Fuel Payment drop from 11.4million to 1.5m. The change will save the UK Government around £1.4billionn in the current financial year, but will also see some 10m pensioners miss out on the extra financial help.
While the one-off payment is often quoted as pensioners missing out on £300, the reality is that most people over 66 will receive £200, the maximum payment is only made to those aged 80 and over.
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