Cold Weather Payments

(asked on 10th July 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Arfon constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK are eligible for cold weather payments.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 16th July 2018

The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as constituency level. The number of claimants eligible for Cold Weather Payments is estimated 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 for the eligible claimants when the average temperature recorded at the weather station has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0oC or below over seven consecutive days, during the Cold Weather season (November to March).

The Arfon constituency covers all or part of the following postcode areas: LL33, LL54-LL61. These postcode areas are covered by the Mona weather station. The number of eligible claimants at Mona weather station for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season was approximately 12,000.

The Aberconwy constituency covers all or part of the following postcode areas: L22, LL24-28, LL30-34. These postcode areas are covered by the following weather stations: Rhyl, Capel Curig, Mona. The total number of eligible claimants at these weather stations for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season was approximately 47,000.

The Ynys Mon constituency covers all or part of the following postcode areas: LL58-LL78. These postcode areas are covered by the Mona weather station. The number of eligible claimants at Mona weather station for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season was approximately 12,000.

The Dwyfor Meirionnyd constituency covers all or part of the following postcode areas: LL21, LL23, LL35-LL49, LL51-55, SY20. These postcode areas are covered by the following weather stations: Lake Vyrnwy, Trawsgoed, Capel Curig, Mona. The total number of eligible claimants at these weather stations for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season was approximately 24,000.

For Wales, the number of eligible claimants for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season was approximately 244,000.

For the United Kingdom, 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. The number of eligible claimants for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season in Great Britain was approximately 3,888,000.

Notes

  1. The number of eligible claimants given here is an estimate as information on the exact number of those eligible for Cold Weather Payments is not readily available. These estimates are produced at the start of the Cold Weather season.

  1. The number of eligible claimants is not necessarily the total number of individuals or households 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.

  1. Estimates of Cold Weather Payments are published weekly during the Cold Weather season. The latest published estimates can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-statistics-2017-to-2018

  1. Links between postcode areas and weather stations are reviewed before the start of a new Cold Weather season.

  1. Links between postcode areas and weather stations for the 2017-18 Cold Weather season can be found at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-statistics-2017-to-2018

  1. The estimated number of eligible claimants for Wales is adjusted to account for weather stations with coverage spanning the border of Wales and England.

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