Extra £5 million for Nottinghamshire won't 'compensate' Winter Fuel Payment cut

Households will only be entitled to the winter fuel payment if they receive pension credit or other means-tested benefits

More than £5 million of support for those most in need across Nottinghamshire will not be able to "compensate" the loss of Winter Fuel Payments for thousands of pensioners. The new Labour government confirmed earlier this year that it was means-testing the benefit and removing it from those who do not receive Pension Credit.

Charities including Age UK have argued that many pensioners not in receipt of Pension Credit are still struggling financially and that the Winter Fuel Payment loss will cause harm. The government argues many eligible for Pension Credit currently do not apply and is encouraging greater uptake.

Nottinghamshire County Council has now set out details of how the latest round of the Household Support Fund will be used in the area. The Conservative-led authority has received more than £5.6 million after Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the sixth phase of the fund in September.

The money will be rolled out between October and the end of March next year, with households receiving free school meals among those who will receive support. Households with one or more people receiving Pension Credit will also receive assistance, as well as others identified as needing support.

Yet in terms of the impact on pensioners, the county council says: "It is recognised the impact of the removal of Winter Fuel Payments by the government for all pensioners who are not in receipt of Pension Credit. Whilst it is not possible to utilise phase six of the fund to compensate for the removal of this payment for all pensioners, work is being undertaken with the partnership to gather data of those who are not currently claiming Pension Credit but are eligible to do so, and to develop a communication strategy to drive uptake of this benefit."

Rachel Reeves announced soon after taking office that households across England and Wales would only be entitled to the winter fuel payment if they received pension credit or certain other means-tested benefits. The DWP estimates that 1.5 million people will still receive a payment this winter.

The Household Support Fund was first set up in October 2021. Describing the impact of the fund, the government says: "The Household Support Fund was distributed by councils in England to directly help those who needed it most. The grant was distributed through small payments to support vulnerable households meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and utilities."