Close to 40,000 people have signed up for pension credit in the weeks since the government announced it would be a prerequisite for claiming the winter fuel payment.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are looking to save money by withdrawing the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners – with only those that are claiming pension credit viable for the stipend.

Before winter, Labour are trying to encourage as many people as possible who are eligible for the credit to sign up.

Statistics released by the government show the number of new claimants begins to increase in the wake of the new policy being announced on 29 July.

There has been a 115% increase in pension credit claims received by the Department for Work and Pensions in the past five weeks – when the changes were announced – compared with the five weeks before

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In total, 38,500 people have signed up in the past five weeks, compared with 17,900 in the five preceding weeks.

While this more than a doubling, for the last full year when data is available – 2022 – government statistics show around 800,000 eligible pensioners did not claim the credit.

It would take around 100 weeks for all 800,000 to sign up if they continued to do so at the current rate.

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A government spokesperson said: “Given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right that we target support to those who need it most.

“Over a million pensioners will continue to receive the winter fuel payment, while many others will also benefit from the £150 warm home discount from October to help with their energy bills over winter.

“We are seeing increased demand in pension credit claims and continue to urge pensioners to check their eligibility to make sure as many people in need can access this support.”

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Ms Reeves announced the plans to fill what she says is a £22bn “black hole” in the public finances left by the last government.

However, it has drawn opposition from both the Conservatives and Labour MPs, with many calling for a taper or increase in the threshold at which the fuel payment can be claimed.

A vote is taking place on the policy on Tuesday next week in the House of Commons.

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