REVEALED: Confusing maze of questions makes it absurdly difficult for pensioners to claim winter fuel money

Pensioners who want to keep their winter allowance face a gruelling application process, during which they have to answer hundreds of questions on confusing topics, such as whether they want to claim pension credit for any children.

Due to delays in the system, some applicants are having to wait up to six months before being approved or denied.

More than 10 million people will not receive a winter allowance of up to £300 this winter unless they get pension credit, in a cruel cash grab orchestrated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

According to the government, around 880,000 people who are entitled to pension credit but have not yet applied can continue to receive their winter fuel payments if they complete the process.

However, those who sign up are presented with a dizzying list of 243 detailed questions, ranging from intrusive and difficult to answer to downright nonsense.

Applicants are asked to bare their financial souls and reveal the most personal details about their income and savings – and those of their partner.

Money Mail readers have told of their distress at being forced to share their most private financial arrangements. This includes a forensic look at the details of every savings account they have, how much they receive from company pensions, right down to when the money arrives in their account each month.

Pensioners are faced with a whole list of poorly worded questions that can seem bewildering, such as ‘Do you wish to claim pension credit for children or eligible young people?’, and ‘Is the child in prison or on remand awaiting trial or judgment?’, or ‘Is the child currently outside the UK?’.

Until recently, the form even asked whether applicants – who had to be of retirement age – were “currently pregnant.”

Other questions require pensioners to find out specific information that is difficult to obtain and at first glance does not seem relevant to the pension award criteria.

This may include questions such as: ‘Was the lease for your home concluded more than 21 years ago?’, ‘Have you been admitted to hospital?’, ‘Is your partner in hospital?’ and the exact date on which you and your partner stopped working.

Applicants are also asked to write a personal statement explaining why they think they qualify, or, more vaguely, to “tell us more about the property or land” they own.

Even those who have to answer hundreds of questions to submit an application say it’s not the worst part of the process.

Many people are then facing long waits for their money, as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has warned them of delays due to the high volume of applications and postal delays.

Readers tell us that they sometimes had to wait up to six months before the important pension money was deposited into their account.

Those in greatest need are at risk if they cannot heat their homes during the freezing months this winter.

Others complain about unhelpful government helpline staff and absurd security checks. In one case, we spoke to a recently widowed 85-year-old who was turned away after failing a security check because she could not remember exactly how much state pension she received down to the last few cents. The staff then refused to discuss her application further.

Pension credit is a benefit for people who have reached the state pension age and have a low income. It is intended to help with the cost of living.

This will top up your pension income to £218.15 a week if you are single, or to a joint income of £332.95 if you have a partner.

Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity Independent Age, said: ‘Callers to our helpline tell us that one of the biggest obstacles to claiming pension credit is trying to gather all the information they need to make a claim.’

She said many people were also put off by the inaccessibility and length of the 24-page form.

The DWP is organising a ‘pension credit week of action’ in a bid to boost take-up

and encourage pensioners to check their eligibility. But campaigners and charities warn that the complexity of the application form and the intrusive nature of the questions are putting many off. Dennis Reed, of campaign group Silver Voices, said: ‘It’s so complicated that many older pensioners rely on their sons and daughters to help them fill it in.

“But what if they don’t have access to family?”

‘The government campaigns always fail because people don’t want to share all their private information and give up their income. They don’t want to tell the world that they’re poor or don’t have much savings. It’s embarrassing. And there’s a deep-rooted idea among older generations that you have to be proud and make do.’

Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said the questions could be clearer on the form and echoed Mr Reed. Sir Steve, now a partner at consultancy LCP, said: ‘The privacy issue is particularly problematic for many older people who may be private about their financial affairs and may not want to talk about it with a stranger.’

Nina Hayton from South Petherton, Somerset, who is now receiving pension credit, says the form seems designed to put people off.

The 73-year-old retired agriculture minister says: ‘The government just puts obstacles in your way with all that bureaucracy.

“The questions required facts and figures that you couldn’t answer without all the paperwork. For many, the challenge is a nightmare they can’t handle.”

Nina had long felt too intimidated to fill in the 24-page form on the government website, but eventually completed it in half a day with the help of charity Age UK. However, she had to wait four months for any payments, until Money Mail highlighted her plight in December 2022.

There are ways to simplify the process. Sir Steve recommends calling the Pension Credit Helpline to make your claim rather than filling in a paper form.

This is because call center employees may skip dozens of questions if a section does not apply to you, for example if you have no dependent children or if you are not entitled to disability benefits.

You can apply for Pension Credit at any time after you reach retirement age, currently 66, and your application can be backdated by three months. Apply online at apply-for-pension-credit.service.gov.uk/start or call the Pension Credit Claimline on 0800 99 1234.

A DWP spokesperson said: ‘To ensure pension credit is accessible to everyone, applications can be made online, by telephone or using a paper application form.

‘If you are concerned about the paper application process, we recommend that you apply online. The service is available 24/7, every day of the year, and you can do this with a friend or family member. You can also do it over the phone, where the caller will be guided through the application process.’