Nearly 13,000 Camden pensioners to lose winter fuel allowance, council confirms

Camden Council expects 12,500 pensioners to lose their winter fuel allowances this year as a result of the Labour government’s controversial change to the benefit.

The latest data shared on Monday showed that of the borough’s 19,000 retirees, around 6,500 currently receive pension credit, leaving over two thirds ineligible for the entitlement, which ranges between £150 and £300.

Prior to this week’s full council meeting, Cllr Lorna Jane Russell (Green) had asked cabinet member for finance and cost-of-living, Cllr Camron Aref-Adib (Labour), to confirm how many pensioners will lose the benefit, broken down by ward.

She also quizzed the council on how it will help elderly residents meet the cost of energy bills this winter.

In a written response published after the meeting, Cllr Aref-Adib confirmed that the raw total of people who will no longer receive the benefit was 13,777, based on households.

But the cabinet member added that since many households comprise couples and not individuals, the true number of pensioners losing winter fuel payments was closer to 12,500.

Belsize, Highgate and Primrose Hill wards, which have the highest total number of pensioners, are where most people would be deprived of the payment.

During the meeting, Cllr Tommy Gale (Labour) raised the issue that around 800,000 eligible pensioners across England and Wales were in danger of losing out.

He asked asked Cllr Aref-Adib what additional steps the council was taking to ensure pension credit uptake.

Cllr Aref-Adib said the borough’s take-up rate was far above the national average, and that the number of under-claimants had been successfully halved.

Earlier in the meeting, Cllr Tom Simon (Lib Dem) said “shockingly” one in five pensioners will need to choose between heating and eating, citing a poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats in September.

Council leader Richard Olszewski (Labour) said no-one was pretending the government’s decision was popular or easy, but that “sometimes tough decisions were unavoidable” given the £22bn “black hole” inherited from the previous Conservative government.

“We are conscious that there will be pensioners in Camden who will be adversely affected by this,” he said.

“Six thousand pensioners currently claim pension credit, and there are possibly 400 who are eligibile who aren’t claiming, which means the borough has a take-up rate of around 94 per cent.

“This is a pretty good rate, and is testament to the ongoing work we are doing to get pensioners to sign up.”

On Tuesday, the Evening Standard reported that 127,000 London pensioners could be at risk of losing the benefit despite being eligible due to their low income.