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 constituency of Peterborough covers all or part of the postcode areas PE1-PE8 and PE13. Postcode areas PE1 to PE8 are covered by Wittering weather station. There have been no cold weather payments paid in this area in the last 12 months (to 27^th February 2015).

PE13 postcodes are covered by Marham weather station. Qualifying individuals living in this area will have received a payment in respect of a seven-day period of cold weather from 17^th-23^rd January 2015. No other payments were triggered in Marham in the last 12 months. Marham weather station covers the postcode areas of CB6-CB7, IP24-IP28, PE12-PE14 and PE30-PE38. We estimate that 23,800 payments were made in this area as a whole in respect of the January 2015 trigger. We are not able to break this figure down to a lower level.

Notes

1. 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.

2. Individuals in receipt of Pension Credit are usually eligible for Cold Weather Payments. In addition those on Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit may be eligible for Cold Weather Payments if they are in receipt of certain disability benefits, have a disabled child, or a child under the age of five.

3. 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.

Only one trigger was recorded in the 2013/14 Cold Weather season and an estimated 1,100 payments paid. Further details can be found in the ‘Social Fund Cold Weather Payments for Great Britain from 1st November 2013 to 31st March 2014’ update on Gov.uk which may be found at

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299461/sf-cwp-31-03-2014.pdf.

In April 2013 Universal Credit was added as a qualifying benefit and Council Tax Benefit was removed as a qualifying benefit as it ceased to exist. Otherwise, the criteria for awarding Cold Weather Payments have remained the same.

This Government have also, from 2010, permanently increased the value of a Cold Weather Payment from £8.50 to £25.