Thousands of grieving families horrified over DWP winter fuel payment letters sent to dead loved-ones
THOUSANDS of grieving families have been left “horrified” after winter fuel payment letters were sent to dead loved ones.
The winter fuel payment was previously available to everyone aged 66 and above, the current State Pension age.
But in July the Government announced the payment would become means-tested meaning only those on certain benefits are eligible.
This includes those on income support, tax credits, Universal Credit, and largely Pension Credit.
This means that around 10million pensioners will no longer get the cash, which can be worth up to £300.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is now writing to 13.5million pensioners to alert them to the changes and also to let them know if they might be eligible for pension credit.
However, it’s understood that some letters are being sent to pensioners who have died – despite grieving families having told the DWP about their deaths already.
This is what happened to one woman, who then took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice her frustration.
Frances Coppola, a writer and economist, reported that she had received a letter about changes to the winter fuel payment from the DWP intended for her partner.
But she had already informed the government that he had died on September 19.
Ms Coppola said the letter was advising her partner that he could apply for pension credit to be backdated by up to three months – making him eligible for the cash payment.
Writing on X she said: “My partner’s state pension has already been stopped. I did not understand why they were writing to him about WFP, since clearly they knew he was dead.”
Ms Coppola then complained to the DWP about the letter and was told that letters were being sent out to all “who had ever made a claim” for the WFP – alive or not.
“So thousands of bereaved spouses, partners and relatives are receiving these letters,” she Tweeted.
This was to ensure as many people as possible find out about the changes to WFP, Ms Coppola was told.
She added: “DWP is ignoring official notifications of death and literally spamming the relatives of deceased WFP claimants. I am horrified.”
According to the DWP a representative of the deceased can call or email the department to report the death of a customer.
Once that’s happened, the department will then work with them, following what’s called a death arrears process.
This involves contacting the representative to gather information or confirm details to make sure the department holds the correct information to make a death arrears payment.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We are looking into what happened in this case and apologise for any distress caused.
“More broadly we are committed to ensuring pensioners are aware of the changes to the winter fuel payment and the wider support that is available to them.
“We are issuing letters to around 13.5 million pensioners and our drive to boost take up of Pension Credit has seen a 152% increase in claims, with other pensioners are also benefiting from the Warm Homes Discount and our extension of the Household Support Fund to help with their energy bills.”
The Sun's Winter Fuel S.O.S Campaign
THE Sun's Winter Fuel SOS Campaign is here to support households during these challenging times.
Due to government cutbacks, ten million pensioners are set to lose the £300 Winter Fuel Payment.
Since opening our phone lines to thousands of pensioners in October, we remain dedicated to providing tips and advice on how to stretch your finances further.
That’s why we have partnered with the poverty charity Turn2Us to launch a free benefits checker, helping you ensure that you are claiming all the benefits to which you are entitled.
Don’t miss our latest Sun Money coverage, which includes essential information on key deadlines, applying for support, and everything you need to know about Pension Credit.
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Tom Selby, director of public policy at investment firm AJ Bell told The Sun that this “blanket approach” risks causing even more grief.
He said: “While the DWP’s desperation to boost take-up of the WFP among those who are eligible is understandable, taking a blanket approach risks creating extra admin stress for people at what will inevitably already be a really difficult time.
“If the government has the correct information about people, including whether or not they are still alive and likely to be entitled to the payment, then it should be using that information to make sure things like this don’t happen.”
“The response from the individual at DWP in this case, not to mention the convoluted process the individual had to go through, is particularly unforgivable and falls well below the standards most people would expect.”
Tom added that this isn’t the first time the DWP’s admin systems have been found wanting and “they need to get their house in order as a matter of urgency”.
What is the winter fuel payment and who is eligible?
The winter fuel payment is issued to state pensioners on certain benefits to help cover the cost of hiked-up energy bills over the colder months.
This is because households tend to use more energy for heating as temperatures drop.
The payment, which is made in November or December, is automatic meaning you don’t need to apply.
Those on Universal Credit with a joint claim where one member was over the state pension age previously had to apply to get the payment.
To automatically qualify this year, you need to be of state pension age and in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
You must have an active claim for these benefits during the “qualifying week” which is from September 16 to 22 this year.
You only need to apply this year if:
- you moved to an eligible country before January 1, 2021
- you were born before September 23, 1958
- you have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK – this can include having lived or worked in the UK and having family in the UK
Households can claim by phone from October 28 via the number 0800 731 0160.
They have until March 31, 2025 to do this.
Or to claim by post, you’ll need to fill in the winter fuel payment claim form and post it to the Winter Fuel Payment Centre.
This is available at www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim.
What energy bill help is available?
There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
More energy help for pensioners
In response to the government’s slash to the winter fuel payments, Octopus Energy has launched a scheme offering discretionary credit of between £50 and £200 to pensioners.
British Gas has also set aside over £140 million this winter for its Individual and Families Support Fund.
And Scottish Power‘s Hardship Fund has handed out more than £60 million to its struggling customers.
To find out what you can get, check the offers from your own supplier first by going to their website or asking someone on the phone.
Most schemes are exclusive to customers, but the British Gas Individual and Families fund is available to everyone if your own supplier can’t help.
Help can also be accessed from your local council via the Household Support Fund, which has renewed a fresh pot of £421million for vulnerable households.
To find out if you are eligible, go to your council’s website and read over the conditions of the scheme.
If you’re just looking for simple ways to reduce your bill this winter, each of these supplier schemes, as well as the Household Support Fund also offer free electric blankets as part of their deal.
For example, Octopus has said they will distribute 20,000 electric blankets from Dreamland to its most vulnerable customers, keeping them warm for “as little as 3p an hour”.
The “heat yourself not your home” approach is trending fast, with retailers such as B&M introducing ranges of affordable self-heating appliances.
However, it is important to note that the elderly should not avoid turning the heating on if they are cold – for energy help contact your provider or local council, or read our article here.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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