Older people across the country are planning to drastically cut back on heating their homes this winter due to losing the Winter Fuel Payment, according to new polling from Independent Age.

New polling from national charity Independent Age found that 43% of older people who will lose their Winter Fuel Payment said they were planning to go to bed earlier to avoid heating their home. 14% were already planning to do this but now an additional 29% said they will resort to this measure because of the change. 

A worrying 67% said they will turn the heating on less than they would like and 23% said they would not turn the heating on at all. 

With the UK Government continuing with their plan to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to those on means-tested benefits, many older people are facing a tough winter. In response to this mounting crisis, Independent Age has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for their Helpline to ensure they can provide vital advice and support to older people this winter. A donation of £28 helps an older person needing information and support speak to a Helpline adviser.

One in six older people already live in poverty in the UK, and without the Winter Fuel Payment, the charity says many more will be pushed towards the impossible choice of heating or eating.

The latest UK Government figures estimate that only 65% of eligible older people receive Pension Credit, meaning up to 970,000 eligible people will lose the Winter Fuel Payment this year.

Since the announcement, calls to Independent Age’s Helpline about Pension Credit and Winter Fuel Payment worries have more than trebled.

Fran McSweeney, Head of Services at Independent Age, said: “With the colder weather already closing in and cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment, we’re getting more and more calls from worried older people facing a very bleak winter.

Our advisers and caseworkers are working hard to ensure older people are getting all the financial support they are entitled to, but the demand for our help just keeps growing. Any donation to our Helpline would be hugely appreciated, we want to make sure nobody is left out in the cold this winter.”

You can find out more and donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/en-gb/c/act/independent-age-winter-appeal