Thousands in Kingston miss out on Government's cold-weather cash (From Elmbridge Guardian)

Thousands in Kingston miss out on Government's cold-weather cash

9:52am Friday 15th January 2010

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More than 3,000 elderly people in Kingston and Richmond may have missed out on Government help for pensioners in freezing weather, because the system has been made too complicated, according to Kingston Council.

Cold weather payments of £25-a-week are paid to people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit, like a pension credit, which goes unclaimed by as many as 1.7m pensioners.

But research from Age Concern shows that six out of 10 lower income pensioners are put off claiming benefits by the system.

Councillor Rolson Davies, Kingston Council’s Liberal Democrat executive member for health and adult community services, said: “Experiencing seven consecutive days of temperature below zero degrees will have been a difficult and worrying time for local pensioners on extremely low incomes.

“The Government is offering a small amount of financial support to help elderly and vulnerable people with the increased costs of gas and electricity bills, but more than 3,000 local people who are poor enough to be eligible could be missing out on cold weather payments.”

He blamed the Labour government for not simplifying the benefits system.

For more information about cold weather payments visit directgov.uk.

Follow the snow stories at surreycomet.co.uk/news/snow

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