Earlier, Dame Clare said: “Winter fuel payment will still be paid to people receiving pension credit, and that’s actually one of the most underclaimed benefits there is, so 1.4 million people receive pension credit and there’s nearly another 900,000 people who could.
“It’s really important to see better support so that people do access it.”
However, there are concerns the government’s decision to stop the payments for everyone could create a public health emergency.
Speaking to the BBC, Dame Clare said pensioners who are least able to afford gas and electricity should be put on to a social tariff offering discounted bills.
And she said energy suppliers “need to step up to their responsibilities on energy efficiency and on payment plans for those who are struggling”.
Roger Gardner, 73, is classed as extremely clinically vulnerable. He told the BBC that means he has to stay warm in the winter. He and his wife have lost their winter fuel payments, a change they didn’t anticipate.
“It’s not as though we’ve got extra money coming in. Unfortunately when you’re a pensioner, money is limited and what you’ve got coming in, that is it and you’ve got to plan how you spend it really wisely.”
He said they don’t eat much anyway so they can’t cut down on food.
“Turning [down] the thermostat unfortunately doesn’t work because I’ve got to keep warm all the time in the winter. We’re hoping that we don’t have a cold winter.”
The charity Age UK says it believes “as many as two million pensioners who find paying their energy bills a real stretch will be seriously hit by this cut” and have launched a petition calling for a government U-turn.
The Conservatives have also urged Labour to back down on the decision and are seeking to challenge the policy change in the House of Commons.
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