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Martin Lewis set the record straight with interviewer Victoria Derbyshire during a feature on BBC's Newsnight regarding a pivotal aspect of Winter Fuel Payments. The financial guru
appeared on the show to dissect the Government's revisions to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, which promises to extend its reach to millions more this coming winter. Emphasising a
critical point, Martin highlighted that last year, countless less affluent pensioners failed to receive their due payments because they overlooked claiming Pension Credit. SIGN UP FOR OUR
FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER HERE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT COVENTRY. Last year's system, which Martin condemned as defective, stipulated that individuals were only eligible for the winter
fuel allowance, potentially up to £300, if they were in receipt of Pension Credit or certain other state support, reports Birmingham Live. He brought attention to the significant concern
that around 700,000 pensioners don’t apply for Pension Credit although they qualify, hence missing out on potential benefits. Correcting Derbyshire's incorrect statement that low-income
elderly people got the payment, Martin said: "For over 10 years I've been talking about the critically underclaimed benefit that is Pension Credit so to link Winter Fuel Payments
to Pension Credit that's critically underclaimed was a flawed decision. "And there are still today 700,000 eligible pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments under the
current system, which means they earn less than £11,800, who don't claim it. "So when you read in your introduction 'low-paid people get it' - no. "700,000 of the
most vulnerable, often with onset dementia who don't understand it, don't claim it and don't get it. "That's why my big thing was we always have to look after the
most vulnerable. "So a universal payment system we have now where everybody gets it until it gets clawed back is absolutely a better move." The financial specialist expressed
increased satisfaction with the newly announced rules, which stipulate that individuals with incomes of £35,000 or less will be allowed to retain the payments. Although all pensioners are
entitled to the payments, those whose incomes exceed the specified threshold will have the payments deducted via their tax returns.