Over 9 million pensioners suffer in the cold at home

As Age UK shares findings on the impact of changes to Winter Fuel Payments our Chief Executive Stephen Hammersley responds

Back in July Labour announced that Winter Fuel Payments would be scrapped for all pensioners except those claiming Pension Credit (a benefit designed to support the least well off). According to Age UK, the impact of this decision has been huge. Figures from the charity show that in January 2025 three in four pensioners were living in uncomfortably cold homes, the equivalent of 9.1 million people. On February 18th, Age UK presented a petition signed by over 600,000 people to government urging for the means-testing of Winter Fuel Payments to be reversed.

In response to the news, Stephen Hammersley, Chief Executive of Pilgrims’ Friend Society, spoke to Premier Christian Radio. He explained that removing the entitlement to Winter Fuel Payments adds a layer of complexity and concern, with negative results. “People are more worried about heating their homes, which is bad, and secondly a lot of people won’t be getting that additional help to heat their homes, which is bad,” he said.

Many of the poorest pensioners don’t receive Pension Credit because they don’t know how to navigate the systems and therefore miss out. Furthermore, the means testing of Winter Fuel Payments is ultimately likely to be self-defeating. “The complexity and negative consequences probably outweigh the savings that the government has made by making the payments means tested," said Stephen. "You don’t need too many extra people to become ill and to go to hospital before the costs that you save on your Winter Fuel Payments get off set by additional costs in the health service.”

In recent months, the government, together with charities that support older people, have promoted the uptake of Pension Credit. Stephen suggested it is now up to those in churches and across wider society to help people who are poorer to access the support they are entitled to.

He said, “I’m not expecting that most people sitting in churches or listening to this programme will be experts in Pension Credit but what older people actually need is not to be lonely, they need people around them who can ask the question, ‘Do you get support with your bills?’ If the answer is ‘no’ they can go and google Age UK or National Energy Action and start to bring the help to people that they need... Loneliness is the thing that makes cold in winter much more serious.”

At Pilgrims' Friend Society we're launching Community Cafés at many of our care homes which will be warm, welcoming spaces where older people can connect. Stay tuned for news on this initiative.

For further information on Pension Credit and other support available to those struggling to pay their fuel bills, please see:
Age UK
Independent Age
National Energy Action