Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made with regards to extending the cold weather payments to people on furlough to help with fuel bills.

People on low incomes, including those who are furloughed, are able to apply for Universal Credit (UC), which is one of the qualifying benefits for Cold Weather Payments (CWP). If they qualify for UC and meet the additional eligibility criteria for CWP, they will be paid automatically.