Cold Weather Payments: Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
(asked on 14th February 2019) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk received cold weather payments in each of the last five winter periods; and what the annual cost of cold weather payments in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk was 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, 0oC or below over seven consecutive days, during the Cold Weather season (November to March).
The constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk covers all or part of the following postcode areas: DG14, EH37, EH38, EH43 and TD1-15.
The above postcode areas are covered by four weather stations: Charterhall, Edinburgh Gogarbank, Eskdalemuir and Salsburgh. Qualifying individuals living in this area will have received a payment in respect of a seven-day period of Cold Weather, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Estimated number of Cold Weather Payment recipients, by year and weather station | |||||
Weather station | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
Charterhall | 0 | 0 | 6,000 | 0 | 6,0001 |
Edinburgh Gogarbank | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72,0001 |
Eskdalemuir | 0 | 5,0001 | 5,000 | 0 | 5,0003 |
Salsburgh | 0 | 19,0001 | 35,000 | 0 | 34,0002 |
1 There were two triggers at this weather station; recipients will have received two payments in that year. 2 There were four triggers at this weather station; recipients will have received four payments in that year. 3 There were five triggers at this weather station; recipients will have received five payments in that year. | |||||
Estimated expenditure for Cold Weather Payment recipients covered by Charterhall, Edinburgh Gogarbank, Eskdalemuir and Salsburgh weather stations can be seen in Table 2, along with the annual total for the four weather stations.
Table 2 Estimated Expenditure of Cold Weather Payments, by year and weather station | |||||
Weather station | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
Charterhall | £0.0m | £0.0m | £0.1m | £0.0m | £0.3m |
Edinburgh Gogarbank | £0.0m | £0.0m | £0.0m | £0.0m | £3.6m |
Eskdalemuir | £0.0m | £0.2m | £0.1m | £0.0m | £0.6m |
Salsburgh | £0.0m | £0.9m | £0.9m | £0.0m | £3.4m |
Total | £0.0m | £1.1m | £1.1m | £0.0m | £7.9m |
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Charterhall, Edinburgh Gogarbank, Eskdalemuir and Salsburgh weather stations cover the following postcode areas, in Table 3, which include constituencies other than Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. We estimate that 313,000 payments to 117,000 recipients, totalling £7.9 million expenditure, were made in this area as a whole in respect of the triggers in 2017/18. We are not able to break this figure down to a lower level.
Table 3 Postcode sectors mapped to Weather Stations | |
Weather station | Postcode Sectors Covered |
Charterhall | NE71, TD1-6, TD8, TD10-15. |
Edinburgh Gogarbank | EH1-42, EH47-49, EH51-55, FK1-7, FK9-10, KY3, KY11-12. |
Eskdalemuir | DG3-4, DG10-11, DG13-14, ML12, TD7, TD9. |
Salsburgh | EH43-46, G65, G67-68, ML1-3, ML6-11. |
Notes
- The number of recipients and payments given here is an estimate as information on the exact number 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.
- 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. Furthermore, if a weather station triggers more than once throughout a cold weather season then the recipients will receive more than one payment.
- 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/collections/social-fund-cold-weather-payments
- The Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (CWP) scheme provides help to individuals on benefits who are the most vulnerable to the cold. Eligibility to receive CWP is detailed on the Cold Weather Payment Eligibility page which can be found at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility