Age Cymru welcomes the Welsh Government's decision to extend the Winter Fuel Support Scheme to older people claiming Pension Credit

Age Cymru welcomes the Welsh Government's decision outlined in their 2022/2023 Budget to extend the Winter Fuel Support Scheme to older people claiming Pension Credit, and who will now be eligible for the £200 payment.   

The Government said it will invest £90 million to extend the current provision of the Scheme for a further year to run next winter and will also reach more people through widening the range of low-income households that can access the payment, such as pensioners eligible for Pension Credit. 

Age Cymru recently joined forces with the Older People’s Commissioner, Citizens Advice Cymru, Care and Repair Cymru, The Bevan Foundation, Oxfam Cymru and National Energy Action Cymru to issue a statement calling on the Welsh Government to include those claiming pension credit within the Scheme.  

The statement also said older people are facing tough challenges in several other areas which is leading to a real cost of living crisis.  Such pressures include the increasing price of basic food staples, older workers facing the brunt of changes in the workplace following the pandemic, and others having to reduce their working hours to care for loved ones as health and social care services struggle to recover from the pandemic. 

The charity has also called on the Welsh Government to consider ways to increase the take-up of Pension Credit among the 70,000 older households in Wales that are eligible but who do not claim. 

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