PENSIONERS MISSING OUT ON VITAL COLD WEATHER PAYMENTS DUE TO OVERLY COMPLEX CLAIMING SYSTEM

12.00.00pm GMT Mon 1st Feb 2010

Vulnerable pensioners in York are among 1.7 million people who have missed out on vital cold weather payments this winter because they have been put off claiming by the complexity of the system a local Councillor has warned.

Cold Weather Payments of £25 a week are paid to people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit.

Analysis of government figures by the Liberal Democrats suggests that as many as 1.7m people nationally are missing out on these payments as they do not claim Pension Credit.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Madeleine Kirk, who is standing for the York Outer seat at the general election said, "In effect these people are missing out twice, they are missing out on the Pension Credit that they are entitled to but they are also missing out on the extra cold weather payments."

Research from Age Concern shows that six out of ten lower income pensioners are put off claiming pension credit because of the complexity of the system.

Councillor Kirk said, "To claim pension credit you need to fill in a form that is 18 pages long, the guidance notes on how to fill in the form are a further 19 pages. "

"If you want to claim over the phone the average length of phone call to claim pension credit is 14 minutes, during which you need to answer fairly detailed questions about your income and savings."

"The system is just too complex, it is putting vulnerable people off claiming money which is rightfully theirs."

In the last 11 years the government has saved £17.5 billion in pension credit payments that have gone unclaimed.

Councillor Kirk added, "The complexity of the pension credit system is highlighted by the cost of processing each claim, it costs £123 to process a claim for pension credit, whereas a claim for basic state pension costs £49 to process."

"Labour has failed pensioners by creating a complicated system that makes it difficult for them to get the help they desperately need. The Government should be making every effort to identify pensioners who are missing out and get them this extra cash."

Councillor Kirk will propose a motion to the City of York Council full council meeting later this week calling on the government to simplify the system to ensure vulnerable people are getting the support they are entitled to.