Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cold weather payments have been issued in 2018 for people in postcode area SR8; and what the timetable is for recipients to receive their payments.

The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level and the estimated numbers of Cold Weather Payments are produced at a weather station level and cannot be broken down further. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area.

Cold Weather Payments are triggered when the average temperature recorded at the weather station has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0^oC or below over seven consecutive days, during the Cold Weather season (November – March). The SR8 postcode area is linked to Loftus weather station. There has been one Cold Weather trigger at Loftus weather station since 1^st January 2018. This resulted in an estimated 54,000 Cold Weather Payments to eligible recipients living in a postcode area linked to Loftus weather station. These postcode areas are: SR8, TS1-8, TS10-14, TS17-20, TS22-27.

After each period of very cold weather that results in a trigger, eligible recipients should receive a Cold Weather Payment within 14 working days.

Notes

1. The number of payments given here is an estimate as information on the exact number of payments made is not readily available. These figures are produced by determining the volume of eligible recipients in each weather station area at the start of the winter season and using these figures throughout the winter to estimate payments based on the actual triggers recorded.

2. The number of payments made is not necessarily the total number of individuals benefitting from a Cold Weather Payment. Any individuals making a joint claim for one of the qualifying benefits, such as a couple living together, will receive one payment between them rather than one payment each.