By forcing pensioners to apply for their £200-£300 winter fuel cash the Government could save hundreds of millions of pounds, according to the Policy Exchange think tank

Over-60s should be told to apply for winter fuel payments if they need the cash, an influential think tank has recommended. It reckons better-off pensioners wouldn't claim, allowing the benefit to be focused only on those households most in need. The think tank calculates that savings for taxpayers could reach £400m a year, based on research showing that "74pc of people believed winter fuel allowance should only be available to those with incomes or savings below a certain level". Under its proposals the payments would continue to go automatically to those receiving pension credit, protecting pensioners on the lowest incomes. In its Welfare Manifesto, published today, Policy Exchange said: "It would bring the payments in line with other parts of the welfare system, where eligible recipients have to make a conscious choice to receive them. Currently, the majority of these payments are made automatically, meaning that they are passively received."....Read more here