11.6 million pensioners received winter fuel payments last year, the latest figures reveal.
Winter fuel recipients went up by 214,000 compared to the previous year, according to the annual statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on Tuesday.
The number of households receiving the payment also rose to 8.5 million, an increase of 140,000. The majority of recipients lived in Great Britain with a fraction living in the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
The latest figures come amid fierce criticism of the Government’s decision to slash winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
Under the plans, the payment will only be available for the 2.2 million lower-income pensioners who qualify for pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
Currently only about 1.32 million of those eligible actually claim pension credit – about 60 per cent.
The Government has launched a campaign to encourage uptake.
The DWP estimated that the increase in claims for pension credit this year will be just five percentage points – meaning 35 per cent, or 770,000 pensioners, who have earnings left to qualify will still miss out.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
