Retirees use pension freedom 'to fund alcohol and gambling'

An article in the Financial Times reported Lancashire County Council welfare rights officer Pamela Hewitt highlighted five cases of individuals claiming benefits after emptying their pension pots in a matter of months. In a written submission to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, Hewitt described one case of a man who sought help after his housing and tax benefits were cut off. Six months before making his claim, the man had released £120,000 from his pension pot and "spent every penny on gambling, a car and alcohol". Upon appeal, the man's benefits were restored...