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 to people in (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency, (b) Wales excluding Vale of Clwyd constituency and (c) the UK excluding Wales in each of the last five years.

The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as constituency level. 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.

The estimated numbers of Cold Weather Payments are produced at a weather station level and cannot be broken down further. As a result, estimates given in the tables below are subject to a margin of error when matching to the specified areas.

The postcode areas within (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency are covered by the Hawarden Airport and Rhyl weather stations. Table 1 gives the total estimated number of Cold Weather Payments issued to people in coverage of these weather stations in each of the last five years.

Table 1: Cold Weather Payments in each of the last five years, weather stations covering Vale of Clwyd constituency

The weather stations linked solely, or partly, to postcode areas located in Wales are: Aberporth, Capel Curig, Filton, Hawarden Airport, Hereford-Credenhill, Lake Vyrnwy, Mona, Pembrey Sands, Rhyl, Llysdinam (replacing Sennybridge from 2015/16 onwards), Shawbury, St. Athan, Trawsgoed, and Tredegar.

Table 2 gives the total estimated number of Cold Weather Payments issued to people in coverage of these weather stations, excluding any estimated payments for Hawarden Airport and Rhyl weather stations. This gives an approximation of payments issued in (b) Wales excluding Vale of Clwyd constituency.

Table 2: Cold Weather Payments in each of the last five years, weather stations covering Wales excluding Hawarden Airport and Rhyl weather stations

*See note 3.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not produce estimates for Cold Weather Payments issued in Northern Ireland. Cold Weather Payments in Northern Ireland are administered by the Department for Communities.

Table 3 gives the total estimated number of Cold Weather Payments issued to people in England and Scotland in each of the last five years.

Table 3: Cold Weather Payments in each of the last five years, England and Scotland

*See note 3.

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 and expenditure 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.

3. Before 2014/15, estimates of Cold Weather Payments issued by country were not adjusted to take account of weather stations with postcode coverage spanning country borders.