“Extend the winter fuel deadline,” Lib Dems urge

The Lib Dems are urging the government to extend the deadline for applying for pension credit so more people can get the winter fuel allowance.

Party leader Ed Davey has called for the deadline to be extended to 28 February 2025.

He said: “Older people across the country are having to make heart-breaking decisions over whether to heat their homes or eat over the Christmas period.

“Ministers need to do everything they can to limit the damage of their wrong-headed decision to slash winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.”

780,000 could miss out

With the deadline set for 21 December, many eligible pensioners may be left out in the cold.

The government’s own research suggests that around 780,000 low-income pensioners might miss the opportunity to receive financial support this winter, despite being eligible for pension credit.

Why the deadline matters

Unfortunately, the process has been far from smooth as DWP is struggling to process pension credit applications on time: over 91,000 people are still waiting to find out if they’ll get any payments.

DWP has said tens of thousands of struggling pensioners may receive their payments late this year, making an already challenging situation worse.

What is pension credit?

Pension credit helps people over pension age with low incomes.

You might qualify if your weekly income is:

• £218.15 if you're single
• £332.95 if you have a partner

Even if your income is higher, you could still be eligible if you have a disability, caring responsibilities, savings, or housing costs.

You can find out if you’re eligible by using the pension credit calculator. 

Apply before 21 December

If you apply before 21 December and meet the criteria, you’ll get backdated payments for pension credit and the winter fuel allowance.

This could help with those hefty winter energy bills, so be sure to apply before the deadline.

How to apply 

You can apply for pension credit on the government website, by calling 0800 99 1234, or by completing a paper form. You can apply up to 4 months before reaching state pension age.  

You’ll need: 

• your national insurance number 
• details of income, savings and investments 
• bank or account details