DWP to contact 100,000s of pensioners in bid to cut benefit bill

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a Pension Credit review campaign targeting selected claimants in an effort to save £370 million from the benefits bill by April 2031.
• Estimates calculated by The Independent indicate that between 95,000 and 100,000 pensioners could see their payments reduced, with around 10,700 claimants set to lose an average of £1,400 this year.
• The crackdown follows DWP figures revealing that overpaid Pension Credit claims rose to 33 per cent in 2025/26, largely due to claimants under-declaring assets or staying abroad longer than allowed under the rules.
• The DWP clarified that being selected for a review does not mean a claimant has done anything wrong, although some individuals will be required to submit additional evidence such as recent bank statements.
• Pension Credit acts as a passport benefit to additional support worth up to £9,665, but around 761,000 eligible pensioners are still estimated to be missing out on their entitlements.

IN FULL

DWP tells pensioners to prove they need their benefits in bid to slash 100,000 claims