Last day for pensioners to qualify for winter fuel payment

Pensioners are being urged to check if they're eligible for the winter fuel payment, with today a key deadline for applying for the benefit.

Sky's Amanda Akass says, "it is estimated that some 760,000 people who are potentially eligible for this payment, haven't yet signed up for the benefits that you need to do in order to be able to claim that payment."

The deadline for online applications is 11.59pm on December 21.

#skynews #uk

[g.s.]

They add salt to a wound by having a deadline so early in winter. Absolutely no understsnding of how people live.

[Englsh]

Can we please have a vote to dissolve this pathetic government.

[Calmlocket]

Hospital beds will be full of elderly patients this winter with pneumonia, having falls and numerous other cold related illnesses, which in turn will cost the failing NHS millions they don't have. This will in turn cause bed blocking for the waiting lists because there's no decent social care in the community for the elderly to be allowed home because the government stopped funding the councils!!

[alanhindmarch]

I have applied for Pension Credit 3 times, my wife twice, because we get about £15.00 a week over the threshold, so no winter fuel payments for us. How is that right, we feel victimised.

[brymstoner]

this is absolutely disgusting. there are 1000s of pensioners who do not qualify for pension credit but who's health is very bad and many even considered extremely at risk. they are deemed ineligible by the government. ineligible?!!! and don't even start with the sad excuse of the £20bn debt. which btw is now £40bn, and which we will be forced to pay through hiked existing taxes and the introduction of many more taxes. shameful treatment when tories were running the show. shameful treatment now that labour are running things. reset government. none of them can be counted on to run anything except the lining of their own pockets!

[codswallop]

In a statement Keir Starmer said " we must tackle extremist weather which hasn't made it cold enough to freeze pensioners to the grave.
Labour is commited to giving millions of cash n hand barbers, deliveroo cyclists and layabouts sitting outside coffee shops who leer at girls the homes of dead pensioners"

[geraldreynolds]

We shouldnt have to apply for it it should have been paid like it always was.And stop sending millions out of the country on foreign aid.And sendthe bloody boat people back to where they came from.FFS.

[glemonsbhatkin]

Bloody ridiculous that they make it so hard. People that have paid in all their lives as well. Disgusting.

[asmith]

Some pensioners are only just missing out and they can't claim others can't apply online so don't even try just give the fuel payments back

[aleccap]

Why ? They took tax and NI from us automatically over 50 years, so why isn't this payment paid to us automatically they know who we are and where we are because they tax us even now ? Anyone

[seacloud]

U should stop giving aid to Ukraine and make peace with Russia and think about your own people.How sad it is for old people 3:06

[Dana-mlsy]

It won’t be just pensioners who will miss out, ultimately Labour will lose out! Labours choices are wrong! There will be thousands of deaths over a paltry £300 per year that pensioners have to rely on. The new 30 Labour peers will get more than that per day!

[SURGE]

The illegal migrants Don’t have this much trouble getting a 5 star hotel🤬, absolutely disgusting!

[cliveuuking]

Joke. Millions of pensioners have had their payments taken off them.

[John_Bradbury]

They probably won't get the payment until summer anyway. DWP can't keep up.

[FederickEite]

This is very cynical. The majority of eligible pensioners do not have the skills or ability to apply. Good old Starzia.

[kathleensimpson]

It's a bit late to tell us it's the deadline today - I;m just seeing this now past the deadline

[JohnDoe-uuzs]

Yet billions given to Ukraine, Syria and illegal immigrants. This labour government is truly the worst most uncaring we’ve ever seen. Vote reform for real change 🇬🇧

[THEGARNERCOLLECTIVE]

alot of people of all numbers wont put heating on in the home because it eats the money on the meter. everyone agrees they just wrap up warm. i always just wear a padded shirt in the home and always want to put heating on but dont. eon also are increasing gas and electric prices in january 1st 2025. anyone notice since the war in russia the prices gone up alot.

[briantitchener]

Why should 80+ year old pensioners be expected to fill in reams and reams of paperwork to "qualify" for something they should get anyway? It's deliberately been made difficult so that many thousands would give up trying. This government are both cruel and clueless.