Pensioners issued urgent warning as criminals target those hit by Winter Fuel Payment cuts - 'People are falling for this!'

The scam, which emerged in the past week, is preying on the confusion and desperation of those who may no longer qualify for the winter heating allowance.

With millions of pensioners set to lose out on up to £300 in support, criminals are capitalising on the uncertainty by impersonating official bodies.

This deceptive tactic has raised alarm among campaigners and MPs, who warn that desperate pensioners may fall victim to these fraudulent schemes in their search for financial assistance.

The fraudulent text message, purportedly from the "UK Government Living Allowance Office", informs recipients that due to reduced winter heating payments, they must apply for a new "living subsidy".

The scam creates a sense of urgency, warning that failure to submit an application by a specific deadline will result in disqualification.

One such message stated: "We will reopen applications. Please apply for your living subsidy in the link as soon as possible after receiving the information."

The message directs victims to a fake website designed to mimic official Government pages, where unsuspecting pensioners may unwittingly provide sensitive personal information.

In July, it was declared that Winter Fuel Payments would be restricted to only those claiming Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.

This decision is expected to reduce the number of eligible pensioners from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million, saving the Government around £1.4 billion annually.

However, the cuts have left many elderly Britons uncertain about their financial situation for the coming winter.

Baroness Altmann, former pensions minister, described the scam as "utterly abhorrent".

She told The Telegraph: "Some pensioners will be so desperate for any help because they don't know how they are going to manage, they might be less careful in their desperation and that frightens me.

“I fear there will be more of these frail, vulnerable people falling for this than there otherwise would be in their desperation after losing two or three hundred pounds they were relying on to get them through the winter."

To protect themselves from this scam, pensioners are urged to exercise caution when receiving unsolicited messages. Official advice recommends never clicking on links in unexpected texts or emails.

Suspicious messages can be forwarded to 60599 for investigation. The Government emphasised that it does not announce major payments through text messages.

Labour MP David Smith warned: "Please do not follow links in messages sent by unknown or odd numbers, and remember that the Government does not announce major payments through text messages."

Victims of fraud should report incidents to Action Fraud. The public is encouraged to check on vulnerable neighbours and relatives to ensure they are aware of the scam.

Bryn Thompson from Phonely advised: "We urge people to exercise extreme caution when receiving unsolicited messages, especially those claiming to be from Government bodies."