Thousands of individuals have raced to claim pension credit in the weeks after the government indicated it will limit winter fuel payments to those on the benefit, according to fresh figures.Pensions reported that it has received 38,500 pension credit requests in the last five weeks. The increase in claims appears to have begun after July 29, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated that the winter fuel allowance for pensioners would be confined to those seeking pension credit or other means-tested benefits.

It represents a 115% increase in pension credit claims received by the department in the past five weeks compared to the five weeks before, when there were 17,900 claims.

Ms Reeves unveiled the squeeze as part of a slew of policies aiming at plugging a £22 billion "black hole" in the public budget. It is likely to cut the number of seniors receiving the up to £300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million, the majority of whom receive pension credit, saving approximately £1.4 billion this year.Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, has indicated that she is willing to defy her party's directive to vote for the proposal.Opposition MPs from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have also voiced concern about the plans.