The Government are “looking at” the potential of further changes to the DWP Winter Fuel Payment, worth up to £300 for some households.
The benefit was previously available to almost everyone in the UK born before September 25, 1957 to help cover their heating costs.
However, from this winter only those on Pension Credit or means-tested benefits will get the Winter Fuel Payment.
The Treasury said the changes would see the number of pensioners receiving the payments fall from 11.4 million to 1.5 million – so just under 10 million would miss out.
They added that about £1.5 billion will be saved per year by targeting winter fuel payments.
Now, Ministers are considering further changes to the payment, as they are “looking at” the lengthy form which pensioners must fill out to secure their winter fuel payments.
Pensioners face having to fill in a 243-question application to claim pension credit, which will unlock winter fuel payments of up to £300.
Pensions minister Emma Reynolds acknowledged the application process was “very long”, as she also faced calls to say whether an alleged pension credit claims backlog will be cleared “before older people start having to make the choice between heating and eating”.
Taking questions in the Commons on Monday, Ms Reynolds told the House: “We are looking at the form.
“Ninety percent of applicants now apply online but we know that the paper form is very long and we’re looking to see what we can do to simplify it.”
Responding to an earlier question by Conservative MP Rebecca Smith (South West Devon), Ms Reynolds told MPs: “The Government remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners. We urge pensioners to check their eligibility for pension credit to ensure as many people as possible have access to the support which they are entitled to.”
Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, claimed the Department for Work and Pensions was “delaying releasing any more data” on pension credit applications.
She said: “I’m concerned that the Government knows it will not be able to process these applications on time and that this information is not being put into the public domain.
“So will the minister be able to tell me exactly how many pension credit applications have been submitted since September 16, and if the backlog will be cleared before older people start having to make the choice between heating and eating?”
Ms Reynolds said her department had redeployed 500 additional staff to help process the applications and replied to Ms Olney: “I gently say to her we are not delaying the publication of statistics and there will be a new set of statistics which will be published soon.”
The minister had earlier said “the department does not have a pension credit application target” but noted the Government had received around 74,400 pension credit claims in the eight weeks from the end of July to mid-September.
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