DWP rule change will mean state pensioners are 'sent to hospital'

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rule change will mean pensioners are sent to HOSPITAL, it has been warned. The DWP means-testing Winter Fuel Allowances will drive down old people's health and hit the NHS, campaigners said.

The move will “harm the NHS and care systems as pensioners get sick and die in cold homes”, Jonathan Bean, parliament and policy lead at Fuel Poverty Action, told Big Issue. “It’s a political choice that will cause huge suffering.

“Sadly the number of pensioners pushed into poverty by this cut is only the tip of the iceberg of 2.5 million who will be unable to heat their homes properly after this cruel decision.” Cuts to the winter fuel allowance could force 100,000 pensioners in England and Wales into relative fuel poverty, government analysis has shown, as ministers come under mounting pressure over measures in last month’s budget.

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“We recognise that winter fuel payments were poorly targeted, but the wider social security system is clearly not providing adequate targeted support if scrapping these payments will drive tens of thousands of older people into poverty,” Tom Pollard, head of social policy at the New Economics Foundation, told Big Issue.

“It also demonstrates how close to the poverty line many older people are if the removal of a single payment worth £200-300 is leaving them below this line.” He said: “Falling into poverty means that people are unable to afford the essentials, and this means they will have to make difficult decisions about what to cut back on – whether that’s food, heating or other costs. For older people in particular, this can leave them even more vulnerable to poor health and isolation.

“There is a strong causal relationship between living in poverty and having poorer health, because people are not able to properly meet their physical, emotional and social needs. Cuts to the incomes of those who are struggling to make ends meet means they may end up needing more support from health services or social care.”