‘I lose the winter fuel payment by £3.05 – I don’t know how I will cope with my bills’ | Personal Finance | Finance

A pensioner has lost the support of the Winter Fuel Payment this year after exceeding the Pension Credit income limit by just £3.05.

Colleen Webster, 69, from Cawston, Norfolk, faces a harsh winter after losing her Winter Fuel Payment, a benefit she relies on to stay warm during the colder months. Ms Webster told Express.co.uk: “I’m 69 this month, and I won’t be getting the payment this year. I’m [£3.05] a week over the limit.”

For pensioners like Ms Webster, just a few pounds over the threshold can mean the difference between staying warm and struggling with heating costs.

Ms Webster, who lives alone in a housing association bungalow with outdated storage heaters that are expensive to run, is deeply frustrated by the lack of help available for pensioners in her position. She said: “What a stupid idea. It’s cleaner, but it’s the most expensive form of heating, and in a power cut, it won’t work.”

She has five storage heaters but can only afford to use two during the winter, which costs her £200 a month—an enormous strain on her limited income of £221.20 per week.

For many pensioners, this kind of financial struggle is all too common. The income threshold for Pension Credit is £218.15 per week, and because Ms Webster’s weekly income is £3.05 over the limit, she misses out on both Pension Credit and the Winter Fuel Payment.

Ms Webster is also among the women born in the 1950s affected by the rise in the State Pension Age (SPA). After losing her job at 59, she spent six years on benefits, waiting for her pension. Now, even after finally receiving it, losing the Winter Fuel Payment feels like yet another blow.

The Winter Fuel Payment, introduced by Labour under Gordon Brown, was designed to help pensioners with the rising costs of heating their homes during the coldest months. It provides those eligible with support ranging between £100 and £300 over winter.

But recent changes mean that people like Ms Webster, who are just over the threshold for Pension Credit, are losing out.

This week, MPs voted 348 to 228 in favour of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plan to tighten the eligibility criteria for the allowance. The decision aims to address a £22billion shortfall in the nation’s finances.

Previously, the Winter Fuel Payment was available to all pensioners in England and Wales, provided they were born before a certain date, regardless of income. However, under the new rules, pensioners will no longer qualify for it unless they receive certain means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit. The change is expected to affect around 10 million pensioners.

Critics of the old system argued that many recipients didn’t need the support, with some wealthier individuals donating the payment to charity or opting out altogether. While the change aims to target those most in need, it may leave many pensioners like Ms Webster, who are just a few pounds over the threshold, struggling during the winter months.

Ms Webster said: “It’s OK to say we gain £400 next year because of the triple lock, but that won’t keep us warm in January, February, and March.

“In the winter, I stay in my pyjamas and dressing gown to stay warm. What I’ll do now that the winter fuel payment has been taken away, I don’t know.”

She also suffers from osteoarthritis in her spine, which worsens in the cold. She said: “I have to get up two or three times a night to use the bathroom, so it seems I’ll get cold now.”

For Ms Webster, the Government’s decision to cut the payment feels like a betrayal. She said: “Every family in this country has a nan or grandad who has been affected by what they have done. £200 is not a lot to people like [Keir Starmer], but to me and millions of others, it’s a choice of eating or dying from the cold.

She added: “Why pick on pensioners? There are other things they could have done, like a windfall tax on oil companies.”

A Government spokesperson responded, saying: “We are committed to giving pensioners the dignity and security they deserve in retirement, which is why we are protecting the Triple Lock, with the State Pension set to increase by £1,700 over the course of parliament.

“But given the dire public finances we have inherited, we must target support to those who need it most while taking the difficult decisions to fix the foundations of our economy. Over a million pensioners will continue to receive the Winter Fuel Payment, with low-income households set to get the £150 Warm Home Discount and access to the Household Support Fund, which we’ve extended by over £400 million this winter.”

If you have a similar story and would like to share it, email katie.elliott@reachplc.com.