DWP faces fury at 'block' on hard-up pensioners getting Winter Fuel Payment

A group of MPs is calling for the threshold for Pension Credit and the Winter Fuel Payment to be made more generous.

An early day motion has been tabled urging for the change claiming that pensioners on modest incomes are narrowly missing out on the £200 or £300 payment.

The eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment has been changed by Labour so that rather than being a universal benefit state pension age benefit, only those on certain means-tested benefits will get the support, including those on Pension Credit.

The motion reads: "That this House notes that the current threshold of pension support to open the gateway of winter fuel allowance is too low; further notes the need to change the cliff-edge nature of the Pension Credit threshold".

A total of 17 Labour MPs have signalled their support for the motion, which "calls upon the Government to capture the gateway support for those citizens with small occupational pensions that take them just above the threshold".

Pension Credit tops up a person's income up to £218.15 for single claimants and up to £332.95 for couples, so your income needs to be below these amounts to qualify.

Some people may still be entitled to the benefit if they have an income higher than these amounts, as Pension Credit provides additional payments in certain circumstances, such as if you have a disability, if you care for someone or if you have savings.

A single person on the full new state pension of £221.20 a week would not qualify for the standard Pension Credit top up, while the full basic state pension is £169.50 a week.

This is the full list of MPs backing the motion:

• Mike Amesbury
• Kim Johnson
• Andrew Cooper
• Sarah Russell
• Chris Webb
• Connor Naismith
• Charlotte Nichols
• Sarah Hall
• Paula Barker
• David Baines
• Marie Rimmer
• Grahame Morris
• Andrew Ranger
• Steve Witherden
• Jim Shannon
• Bell Ribeiro-Addy
• Jon Trickett
• Lorraine Beavers

You can claim Pension Credit as soon as you reach state pension age and you do not have to be claiming your state pension to get the support.

The benefit is hugely underclaimed with over 800,000 people missing out, while a typical claim provides a £4,000 a year income boost.

Claiming Pension Credit makes you eligible for other Government help, such as council tax discounts, Housing Benefit and the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme.