How wealthy pensioners struggle to opt out of the winter fuel payment

One in five Britons over the age of 65 is classified as a millionaire but attempts to return the cash prove almost impossible, writes Kate Hughes

The amount of winter fuel payment received per person ranges from £100 to £300 (Getty)

Only 186 of more than 11 million recipients of the winter fuel payment successfully opted out of the benefit last season, a freedom of information request has revealed, prompting calls for an overhaul of the benefit.

The figures suggest 0.002 per cent of those who are eligible – anyone born before 25 September 1956, regardless of income or accumulated wealth – returned the extra cash in 2021, a 78 per cent drop from the year before, according to data obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Although the payment is a critical financial lifeline for a large portion of the estimated 11.4 million recipients every year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classifies more than one in five pensioners as a millionaire for whom the payment may not be so crucial.