Pensioners are facing waits of more than 100 days to secure their winter fuel payment as Labour reforms put a major strain on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
An investigation by The Independent has uncovered dozens of cases where pensioners face a wait of more than three months for the benefit, with many more feared to be in a similar situation.
Welfare advisers from several organisations have said that these long waiting times have become a serious issue, with little recourse available through DWP agents. The delays mean that many of those who are eligible and applied in good time are still unlikely to receive the payment until 2025.
The issue follows changes announced by Rachel Reeves in late July, with only those in receipt of pension credit eligible for the winter fuel payment. In previous years, all pensioners would receive the payment every winter.
The DWP says the change has sparked a major increase in pension credit claims, with about 150,000 made in the 16 weeks since the chancellor’s announcement. This is up from 61,300 in the previous 16 weeks.
Around 500 staff have been brought in by the department to process claims faster, but there is still a massive backlog to form. By the middle of November, there were 91,075 outstanding claims.
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: “The benefits system was never designed to cope with such an upsurge in demand and the Treasury should have factored that in before pressing ahead with their ill-fated reform.”
Christopher Hewett, 69, has been waiting over 120 days for a decision on his pension credit claim. After hearing about the changes to the winter fuel payment, the Norfolk resident says he “applied straight away” and was informed by the DWP that he would hear back by October.
After hearing nothing, Mr Hewett got in touch with an adviser – despite the long helpline hold times – and was told he would hear back in due course. By December, he had still not been contacted and was growing more concerned.
He explains what the cold weather benefit would mean to him: “To be honest, it’s a bit tight as things are at the moment. I’ve had several falls recently, and I had a big one a few weeks ago and ended up with fractured vertebrae, ribs and pelvis.”
Mr Hewett says he and his wife have moved in with his daughter, a single mother of one, as he recovers from his injuries. He says he had “factored in” the winter fuel payment to help pay for the heating bills he will require.
After an intervention by The Independent, Mr Hewett’s claim has now been placed on the DWP’s priority list and advisers have been in touch. But his case is just one of many.
Latest figures reveal that the average waiting time for pension credit has grown to 65 working days. This is 15 working days above the DWP’s target time of 50 days, already raised from 30 days after Labour’s changes were announced.
Tory shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said: “It beggars belief that Labour are making some of the country’s poorest pensioners wait until spring to get help with the cost of heating this winter.
“Labour’s policy is as incompetent as it is cruel.”
Mary Cavill, 69, says she was sent a letter by her local council on 7 September advising her to apply for pension credit, which she promptly did. She was then told by the DWP she should get an update by November, but grew concerned after no one got in touch.
Later in the month, Ms Cavill was sent another letter, this time by the department, again advising her to apply for pension credit. She’s now been waiting around 100 days for her claim to be processed.
“There’s just so much inefficiency and waste,” Ms Cavill says.
“I try to be as frugal as possible with heating, lighting, water – all the basic utilities … but how am I going to keep warm if I’m not going to have the heating on above half an hour in the morning and an hour or two at night?”
The DWP has now also placed Ms Cavill’s claim on a priority list.
Steve Darling, Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesperson, said: “First the government slashes winter fuel support for vulnerable pensioners, then they keep people worried for months at a time as they wait for the result of their application. Simply put, it’s unacceptable.
“It should go without saying that people deserve timely responses on such a critical issue. It seems the government has no qualms about adding to the worries of those already having to choose between heating and eating this winter.
“The government must listen to public outcry and climb down from their misguided winter fuel cut.”
A government spokesperson said: “Over a million pensioners will still receive the winter fuel payment, and our drive to boost pension credit take up has seen applications more than double with over 40,000 more pensioners now receiving it, as well as the winter fuel payment. We have deployed additional staff to support processing applications, seeing a 51 per cent increase in the number of cleared claims since the chancellor’s announcement.
“Many others will also benefit from the £150 warm home discount and cold weather payments this winter while our extension of the household support fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.”