Winter fuel payment confusion leaves pensioners at risk of scams
Scammers have sent a wave of bogus messages to pensioners across the country after Labour loosened eligibility rules for the annual heating allowance.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has warned that any texts regarding winter fuel are a scam and should be reported.
Figures from Action Fraud show that thieves stole more than £14,000 from unsuspecting pensioners between October and March in the wake of Labour's original decision to means-test the allowance.
Victims logged 323 incidents over the six-month period, with a total of £14,459 being lost to scammers.
Fraudulent messages have surged again in the past week after scammers pounced on Rachel Reeves's decision to row back on the eligibility criteria for pensioners.
One message pretending to be sent by the DWP read: 'Your account shows that you are eligible to apply for an Energy Allowance for 2024-25 up to a maximum of £300. Please complete the submission process by June 20th. Late applications will be void.'
Recipients are then encouraged to click on a link directing them to a fake website that tricks them into giving up their personal information.
In some cases, messages ask for a '£1 test payment to verify your card', which will be refunded within five to seven working days.
Government departments, a host of councils and fraud charities have warned of the scams, urging pensioners to ignore all text messages related to winter fuel payments.
The new eligibility criteria means pensioners earning below £35,000 are eligible for the support payment.
Around two million pensioners earn more than the threshold, and will have the winter fuel payment claimed back through the tax system.
If one pensioner in a household earns more than the threshold and the other doesn't, then £100 will be clawed back by HMRC from the higher earner.
This is because the allowance is paid on a household level, so if there are two pensioners living in the same home, then it is split equally between them.
Consumer expert Martyn James said that the complex eligibility criteria gives fraudsters an opening to exploit.
He said: 'Because the system is so complicated, people genuinely don't know what their rights are.
'So if someone contacts them and it looks official, people who in the back of their mind are thinking 'maybe I'm entitled to this' get lured in.
'There's absolutely no excuse for the morally repugnant ways that fraudsters are exploiting topical news events, but there's no getting away from the fact that if the system was simpler and easier to understand, then a lot of these fraud attempts would not be successful.'
Age UK has warned the elderly to be vigilant, stressing that if 'you're contacted out of the blue, you should never give over any personal information'.
Pensioners confused by their entitlement are urged to ignore text messages.
In a post on X, the DWP said: 'Beware: If you get a text about 'winter fuel payment' it is a scam. Winter fuel payments are made automatically, you do not need to do anything.'
Anyone who receives a suspicious message is urged to report the scam on the Government's Stop! Think Fraud website.
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