Only the poorest pensioners now qualify for winter fuel payments (Image: Getty)
Seven out of 10 people say the winter fuel allowance should be restored to pensioners with cancer.
Maggie’s, a leading charity, is fighting for the Treasury to restore the payments to cancer sufferers who have been denied pension credit and failed to qualify for the help with fuel costs.
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Anna Thompson, 76, said she failed to qualify for the support because her “tiny private pension” meant she was “about ￡1.30 over the boundary for receiving it”.
Ms Thompson, who suffers from neuroendocrine cancer and has multiple tumours, said: “I’m going to have to cut back on my heating. Essentially, I will have to put it off.”
She warned that “heating is a necessity when people are ill” because they “feel the cold”.
READ MORE: Christmas parody song blasting Starmer over winter fuel cuts tops iTunes chart
“It’s unfair they should be penalised for this when they already have to deal with cancer, she said.
Margaret Manning, 78, is especially sensitive to the cold following treatment for her breast cancer. Her husband, Peter, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and she says it is “disgusting” they have lost the help with heating bills.
She said: “This is a terrible worry and I know if we don’t have the heating on, Peter will end up in hospital.
“And without having the winter fuel allowance I won’t be able to put our heating on for longer than an hour at a time. I’m going to have to cut back and keep the heating off which makes me worried for us both.”
Polling for Maggie’s by Opinium found 71 per cent of respondents thought pensioners diagnosed with cancer should be exempt from winter fuel allowance cuts.
Dame Laura Lee, the chief executive of the charity, said: “Maggie’s benefits advisers have been busier than ever this year helping people with cancer and the cost-of-living crisis.”
She said the loss of the support was “particularly hard hitting for those who just miss out on pension credit”.
Maggie’s expects to deliver nearly 5,000 more benefits advice sessions this year than last – and it estimates it has helped people claim more than ￡55million in benefits.
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In Manchester alone, its benefits workload has gone up by 36 per cent this year.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Little-known DWP benefit gives state pensioners extra ￡5,644 a year
Comments
Martin Lewis' Pension Credit warning to 700,000 pensioners
2 Comments
Local councils offer pensioners Winter Fuel Payment replacement cash - check if yours is
Comments
DWP update to pensioners owed up to ￡12k in back payments
Comments
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1 Comments
Benefit cheat nan who claimed ￡13,000 a month dies leaving council out of pocket
136 Comments
State pensioners warned triple lock 'needs to be changed'
45 Comments
Thousands of pensioners get extra ￡4,500 this year as others urged to follow suit
Comments
State pensioners born in these years given instant ￡100 Winter Fuel Payment increase
26 Comments
State pensioners given Christmas boost if they have two-digit code
58 Comments
DWP update as State Pension errors leave thousands underpaid
Comments
State pensioners missing out on Winter Fuel Allowance urged to claim new ￡200 payment
5 Comments
'Delay' means Brits might not receive DWP increases until May
Comments
Rachel Reeves to rake in an extra ￡6bn a year with pension age hike
448 Comments
DWP warning to 880,000 Brits missing out on up to ￡300 in cost of living support
Comments
State pensioners can still claim ￡500 in winter benefits despite Rachel Reeves cruel cuts
14 Comments
700,000 pensioners warned they have one week to act or risk losing up to ￡4,500 support
1 Comments
Martin Lewis says ‘this is an urgent warning' to state pensioners to get ￡4,300
6 Comments
Brits on DWP benefit sanctions and cuts ahead of Christmas can still get help
1 Comments
Households can get up to ￡300 in new cost of living payments to help with energy bills
Comments
Little-known DWP benefit gives state pensioners extra ￡5,644 a year
Comments
Martin Lewis' Pension Credit warning to 700,000 pensioners
2 Comments
Local councils offer pensioners Winter Fuel Payment replacement cash - check if yours is
Comments
DWP update to pensioners owed up to ￡12k in back payments
Comments
Martin Lewis issues warning to state pensioners with ￡10,000 in savings
1 Comments
Benefit cheat nan who claimed ￡13,000 a month dies leaving council out of pocket
136 Comments
State pensioners warned triple lock 'needs to be changed'
45 Comments
Thousands of pensioners get extra ￡4,500 this year as others urged to follow suit
Comments
State pensioners born in these years given instant ￡100 Winter Fuel Payment increase
26 Comments
State pensioners given Christmas boost if they have two-digit code
58 Comments
DWP update as State Pension errors leave thousands underpaid
Comments
State pensioners missing out on Winter Fuel Allowance urged to claim new ￡200 payment
5 Comments
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448 Comments
DWP warning to 880,000 Brits missing out on up to ￡300 in cost of living support
Comments
State pensioners can still claim ￡500 in winter benefits despite Rachel Reeves cruel cuts
14 Comments
700,000 pensioners warned they have one week to act or risk losing up to ￡4,500 support
1 Comments
Martin Lewis says ‘this is an urgent warning' to state pensioners to get ￡4,300
6 Comments
Brits on DWP benefit sanctions and cuts ahead of Christmas can still get help
1 Comments
Households can get up to ￡300 in new cost of living payments to help with energy bills
Comments
Little-known DWP benefit gives state pensioners extra ￡5,644 a year
Comments
Martin Lewis' Pension Credit warning to 700,000 pensioners
2 Comments
Local councils offer pensioners Winter Fuel Payment replacement cash - check if yours is
Comments
DWP update to pensioners owed up to ￡12k in back payments
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Martin Lewis issues warning to state pensioners with ￡10,000 in savings
1 Comments
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136 Comments
State pensioners warned triple lock 'needs to be changed'
45 Comments
Zoe Winters, who works with the charity in London, said: “When you get a cancer diagnosis you may need to pay extra for things like travel and new clothes, you also can have increased utility bills so it can be a stressful time. We are here to help people access benefits and grants – anyone worried about how they will make ends meet should check what they are entitled to.”
A Government spokeswoman said: “We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their state pension rise by up to ￡1,900 this parliament through our commitment to the triple lock. Over a million pensioners will still receive the winter fuel payment, and our drive to boost pension credit take up has already seen a 152 per cent increase in claims.
“Many others will also benefit from the ￡150 warm home discount to help with energy bills over winter while our extension of the household support fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.”