Pensioners forced to wait for winter fuel payments until the spring as decision delays grow

There were 89,200 outstanding pension credit claims in mid-December - (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Tens of thousands of pensioners face waiting until Spring for their winter fuel payment as new figures reveal the scale of delays following Labour changes.

In December, The Independent revealed that many pensioners were waiting over 100 days for their winter fuel payment, even if they applied in good time. But new statistics from the DWP show that this wait had become the norm by the start of the month.