Martin Lewis exposes huge winter fuel payment | U.Okay.Finance News
Martin Lewis has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to do more to make sure susceptible pensioners qualify and obtain a winter fuel payment this 12 months after exposing flaws within the present means-testing system.It comes because the Government just lately introduced a partial U-turn within the coverage, with new plans to make more people eligible for the benefit this 12 months. Previously, all Britons aged over the state pension age (66) acquired an annual winter fuel payment of up to £300 to help with heating prices. However, in 2024, the new Labour Government tightened the eligibility standards to avoid wasting money, so solely pensioners who acquired means-tested advantages, like Pension Credit, may qualify. The transfer stripped more than 10 million people of their assist, garnering widespread criticism. Sharing a video of his “instant response” to the current and partial U-turn, the Money Saving Expert founder began by voicing his “delight” that adjustments shall be made, earlier than stating two points he has.Mr Lewis stated: “The statement says that they will increase the level of the means test. Now, I thought it would be worth explaining the two issues I’ve always had with the way that the winter fuel payment means test has been put in place. The first one is level.”Currently, for a single pensioner, only those earning under £11,800 a year get the £200 or £300 winter fuel payment.Mr Lewis said: “Now, with energy bills still being high and the other support for energy having been taken away, that really was a big hit to the many pensioners just above that limit.”With this in mind, the money guru said he hopes the threshold will increase “substantially” from £11,800, up to £20,000 or more. He added: “Or perhaps they might only do it and link it to higher-rate taxpayers.”Mr Lewis continued: “The different query, and this one nonetheless stays, and it is one of the primary causes I wished to put this on the market, is the strategy of the means testing. The means take a look at is that they linked winter fuel payment to getting Pension Credit. Pension Credit has long been a flawed benefit, which is critically underclaimed.”Mr Lewis then urged the Government to make the method to claiming Pension Credit simpler, as that is one of the first causes people who could also be eligible nonetheless aren’t receiving it.He stated: “Even now, after all of the communication over winter fuel, there are nonetheless 700,000 eligible pensioners who ought to get Pension Credit and thus Winter Fuel Payments who do not, as a result of they do not declare.”Often it will be vulnerable people with onset dementia, or people who just don’t go through what can be a complicated process, especially on forms, or the message hasn’t been passed across to them because it’s quite difficult to explain the level of income that you need, when it comes to combining all your total income to get it.”So let’s simply put that in perspective. 700,000 people who’ve a whole income of below £11,800 a 12 months are lacking out on Winter Fuel Payment, despite the fact that that is the extent the Government says they need to get it.”So my big message to the Chancellor: don’t just increase the threshold. You have to look at the means test mechanism to make sure that the most vulnerable pensioners in this country, if they have income that is below your threshold, actually get winter fuel payments. And my fingers are crossed they’ll be listening.”
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