|
 |
| The Sun, 10 March 2006 |
|
| HARD-UP old people face having their weekly handouts slashed because of chaos in the pension credit system. |
|
|
|
| Hundreds of thousands may have to hand back cash after being given too much. |
|
|
|
| New figures reveal overpayments trebled in three years to a staggering £ 130million last year. |
|
|
|
| The shambles has echoes of the tax credits fiasco which left families to survive on charity food parcels. |
|
|
|
| Shadow welfare minister David Ruffley said: "Ministers are running the pension credit system incompetently. |
|
|
|
| "Many pensioners have to survive on low incomes and even a small repayment can devastate their budgets. |
|
|
|
| "Now they face the prospect of being rung up and asked for the money back. |
|
|
|
|
"The Government needs to reassure pensioners they will not be treated insensitively."
|
|
|
|
| Nearly 2.5million people pick up the means-tested credits which boose basic state pensions from about £ 80 to £ 109.45 a week, or £ 167.05 for couples. |
|
|
|
| Campaigners fear some pensioners confused by the complicated 34-page claim forms will be penalised. |
|
|
|
| Help the Aged's Mervyn Kohler said: "It is a bit rich for the Government to start demanding money back." |
|
|
|
|
|
