Lucy Powell: No plan to reverse scrapping winter fuel payments

Ms Powell also highlighted a campaign being launched by the government to encourage retired people to check if they are eligible to receive pension credit.

Pension Credit Week of Action comes as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said about 880,000 eligible pensioners are missing out on pension credit, which on average amounts to £3,900 a year.

Pensioners with a weekly income below £218.15 for a single person or £332.95 for a couple are being urged to use the DWP’s online calculator to determine their eligibility for payments.

People with a severe disability, carers and those who are responsible for a child or a young person who lives with them could receive additional money, the government said.

Meanwhile, Age UK, the charity whose petition calling for the government to halt its winter fuel payment policy has been signed by more than 460,000 people, said on Sunday it had written to Ms Reeves.

The letter specifically urged her to extend the payment to two million further pensioners by also including those who receive housing benefit, council tax support, attendance allowance and carers’ allowance.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, told the Observer, external it was aiming to “safeguard” the estimated two million pensioners “who will experience severe hardship” by losing the payment.