news story

8th January 2010

Nearly 25,000 West pensioners set to miss out on Cold Weather Payments

A local MP has calculated that nearly 25,000 West pensioners could be missing out on Cold Weather payments of £25 each, triggered by the current cold spell.

Under the rules, Cold Weather Payments are triggered when the winter temperature is below zero degrees for seven consecutive days, and large parts of Bristol and South Gloucestershire have now qualified. But payments are only made to those who receive a qualifying benefit. In the case of those over pension age, this is those receiving the Pension Credit.

But Government figures show that around 1 in 3 of all pensioners poor enough to receive the Pension Credit do not take it up. As a result, not only do they miss out on weekly help through the Pension Credit system, they also don't qualify for Cold Weather Payments.

Based on DWP statistics for the ten constituencies in the 'West of England' area, Lib Dem MP Steve Webb has calculated that around 25,000 West pensioners on a low income will miss out on extra help with heating costs due to the current cold weather.

He is calling on the Government to mount an urgent take-up campaign to make sure that pensioners get the money they are entitled to and to change the rules to allow cold weather payments to be made to all those in need.

Steve Webb said:

"It is shocking that thousands of vulnerable pensioners in the West are set to miss out on help with their heating costs in this cold spell.

"Many pensioners could get help through Pension Credit but do not take up that help because the system is so complex and off-putting or because they simply do not know they are eligible. This means that they also miss out on the extra help they need through the cold weather payments that have been triggered across much of our area.

"The Government must urgently identify those pensioners who are missing out and make sure that they get all the help they are entitled to as a matter of urgency. They should also look at changing the rules to ensure that help gets to all those in need, regardless of whether or not they are claiming a particular benefit".

Notes:

1. To determine whether a particular area is covered by Cold Weather Payments, you can enter a postcode here

2. The 10 constituencies in the 'West of England' area are Northavon, Kingswood, Bristol NW, Bristol S, Bristol W, Bristol E, Wansdyke, Bath, Woodspring and Weston-super-Mare. Across these constituencies there are currently 49,300 pensioners on pension credit. But national figures show that for every 2 pensioners on pension credit there is another 1 who is entitled but does not get it. On this basis, around 24,650 pensioners in the West are entitled to pension credit but do not receive it, and as a result will miss out on Cold Weather payments.

3. Official DWP estimates put pension credit take-up nationally by caseload at between 61-70%, so about two thirds. See table 2.1 in Take-Up of Income-Related Benefits, 2007-08, published June 2009)  This means for every 3 pensioners who are entitled to pension credit, only 2 claim it.