Chancellor Rachel Reeves axed winter fuel payments for most pensioners (Image: Getty)

       Labour is facing fresh criticism over winter fuel payment cuts after it emerged there have been major delays to pension credit claims.

       It took an average of 87 working days to process an application for the benefit at the peak at the end of last year – well above the target of 50.

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       The average time stood at 56 working days earlier this month.

       It follows an influx of claims after the winter fuel allowance was restricted to only OAPs on pension credit.

       Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said: “Not only have 10million pensioners lost their winter fuel payments due to Labour cuts, even those who are still eligible have had to wait weeks and weeks to receive any money.

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       “It’s nearly March and there are still pensioners who applied for pension credit in December waiting to hear whether they will get help. Government incompetence like this is simply cruel.”

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       Tory MP Dr Luke Evans, who obtained the figures in response to a written parliamentary question, said older people had been "left in limbo throughout a cold winter".

       He said: “It was bad enough that Labour chose to attack pensioners, but what is worse is the fact that their solution – to encourage people to apply for pension credit – is riddled with delays. This all takes place against the backdrop of a cold winter and further rising energy prices. It simply isn’t good enough.

       “The Government has been in power for eight months and this was their policy, their choice. Labour ministers must get a grip to ensure that every eligible pensioner receives the help they’re entitled to. No one should be left struggling to stay warm."

       Dennis Reed, director of campaign group Silver Voices, added: “The Government encouraged pensioners to apply for pension credit in a failed attempt to defuse anger over their scrapping of the universal winter fuel payments.

       “But they were completely unprepared for the rush in desperate applications and many older people who applied at the end of last year have still not been told the outcome.”

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       It comes as figures released today by the Department for Work and Pensions showed 232,200 pension credit applications have been cleared in the wake of the controversial policy.

       Some 117,800 claims were awarded during the period July 29 2024 to February 23 2025, marking a 64% increase from the year before.

       But there has also been a 133% increase in rejected applications, with 114,500 turned down during the period.

       There were still 33,700 outstanding pension credit claims still to be processed earlier this month.

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       The DWP said that in response to the surge in applications, it deployed 500 additional support staff to process them.

       The Government has faced an ongoing backlash for announcing last July that winter fuel payments would be axed for around 10million pensioners as part of measures to fill a "black hole" in the public finances.

       Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: "I’m delighted we've been able to reach so many pensioners who need to be on pension credit, which can be a lifeline to so many on low incomes.”