MORE than 260,000 pensioners across Hampshire will no longer be eligible for winter fuel payments as the chancellor tries to fill a £22 billion black hole in the public purse.

The policy – which will see only those on pension credit or other means-tested benefits eligible – is expected to reduce the number of pensioners receiving the payment by 10 million, saving some £1.4 billion this financial year.

It was introduced by Tony Blair’s Labour government in 1997 to help all pensioners stay warm during colder months. This year, those eligible will receive between £100 and £300.

Most recent government figures show only 287,862 people received winter fuel allowance in the 11 Hampshire districts and boroughs in 2022-23.

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According to data from the Department of Work and Pensions, following the government’s decision to limit winter fuel payments, 266,845 people in Hampshire – excluding the unitary authorities of Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight – will no longer receive the payment.

The decision – which has been widely criticised – removes the payments from about 10 million pensioners in England and Wales.

Age UK said the cuts will also hit pensioners living in energy-inefficient homes or with illnesses that make it necessary for them to stay warm, who may struggle now to pay to heat their homes.

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Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “We strongly oppose the means-testing of winter fuel payment (WFP) because our initial estimate is that as many as two million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in trouble as a result – yet at the other end of the spectrum well-off older people will scarcely notice the difference – a social injustice.”

She added: “It is well established that pensioners tend to do everything possible to avoid going into debt, so if they are worried about their future energy bills, we know their likely response will be to ration their fuel use and economise by reducing their spending on other essentials. This proposed policy change is therefore certain to result in more older people experiencing a horrible ‘eating or heating’ dilemma.”

The knock-on effect could lead more people to visit the so-called ‘warm spaces’, where people gather to stay warm.

Warm Welcome, a campaign group, said nearly 2,700 warm banks are open nationwide, including 485 in the South East.

Hampshire County Council said it is making the most of its library network by offering warm and welcoming spaces for anyone needing a place to spend time, connect with others, or work or study.

Here, you can find a map of all warm locations in Hampshire and the country.