Thousands of pensioners could experience significant delays in receiving their winter fuel payments due to a surge in benefit applications, following Labour’s recent policy shift.

Charities are sounding the alarm, warning that these delays may leave pensioners without essential funds during the first cold spells of the season.

The delays stem from Labour’s decision, spearheaded by Rachel Reeves, to restrict winter fuel payments to only those pensioners who are already on means-tested benefits, affecting roughly 10 million retirees.

This change has triggered a spike in applications for pension credit, causing processing times to balloon from six to nine weeks, according to research by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

While the Government has assured pensioners that they can backdate claims until December, there is growing concern that the payments might not be processed in time to provide much-needed relief before winter sets in, The Telegraph has reported.

Simon Francis of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition said: “It’s clear ministers have not thought this through. When the Chancellor cruelly snatched away the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners, she promised to help households who are eligible to claim the benefit.

“But as it takes so long to process new claims, even those applying now may be forced into a back-dating procedure, which will delay payments.”

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, echoed these concerns, sharing an example of a pensioner who applied a month ago and has been told they may not see any money until mid-September.

She said: “We know that there are quite significant delays in the processing of claims, meaning that older people may not receive any money until after the cold weather has set in.”

“A woman I spoke to this week from London submitted a claim about a month ago and after following it up had been told she was unlikely to hear the outcome until mid September.