York Council has no way of knowing who around 1,150 people who may be eligible for Pension Credit are - as it encourages people to claim ahead of winter.

The council has begun contacting more than 450 York pensioners who claim Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit, out of roughly 1,600 thought to be missing out on Pension Credit.

Labour Council finance spokesperson Cllr Katie Lomas said claiming was vital but added officials could not get information for the remaining 1,150 due to data protection rules.

Cllr Carol Runciman, health spokesperson for York’s Liberal Democrat opposition, said it meant that more than 1,000 pensioners were being forgotten following the cut to the Winter Fuel Allowance.

It comes as York councillors backed efforts to reach out and encourage pensioners to claim Pension Credit which would mean they would still receive winter fuel payments.

It came as part of a wider call for the Government to rethink its decision to end universal winter fuel payments and move towards a means-tested system.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled it as one of several measures to close a £22bn black hole in public finances which she said she had inherited from the previous Conservative government.

The motion passed in September called on the chancellor to raise the eligibility threshold for the payments above those getting Pension Credit amid concerns many would still struggle.

But Liberal Democrat Cllr Runciman said the version of the motion passed in September scaled back original calls to try and contact the roughly 1,600 total of eligible pensioners.

She added references to the ending of funding for Age UK day clubs had also been removed.

Cllr Carol RuncimanCllr Carol Runciman

Cllr Runciman said: “Councillors have been inundated with residents who are upset about the loss of the Winter Fuel Allowance and are fearful about how they will cope at a time when energy bills are set to rise again.

“Under their proposals there will be a thousand forgotten pensioners who will not be contacted or provided the support they need to claim Pension Credit and therefore receive winter fuel payments.”

Cllr Lomas said it was vital that those eligible for Pension Credit are encouraged to claim so they can get hundreds of pounds extra that they are entitled to.

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Council figures showed that 31 York residents who claimed between April and June are set to receive from £134,825 between them as a result.

But Cllr Lomas added that the Government held information about the remaining 1,150 and the council could not access their details due to data protection rules.

The Labour executive member said: “Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing who the additional approximately 1,150 people are.

“We’ve been reaching out to the hundreds of other residents through other council services and voluntary sector organisations to help people check their eligibility and support them to apply.

“Pension Credit support sessions are also run in areas of York where eligibility is likely to be high.”

The Department for Work and Pensions has been encouraging those eligible for Pension Credit to claim it so they can still get the Winter Fuel Allowance.

More information about Pension Credit is available here: http://www.york.gov.uk/pensioncredit, through the council’s Worrying About Money service or from libraries and community venues.