(a) Table 1 shows the number of estimated eligible qualifiers across 2024.

Table 1: Number of Estimated Eligible Recipients in England and Wales

Due to the nature of eligibility, we are unable to breakdown to the household level.

(b) Tables 2 and 3 show the breakdown of weekly payments made in 2024- these are from the 2023/24 season running from the 1^st November 2023-31^st March 2024 and the start of the 2024/25 season 1^st-22^nd November 2024.

Table 2: Payments made to estimated qualifiers in England and Wales, 2024- from the 2023/24 season.

Table 3: Payments made to Estimated Qualifiers in England and Wales so Far- from the 2024/25 season.

Please note-

1) Figures are estimated based on the number of individuals eligible at the start of the season. See the methodology document for further details,

and guidance on how to estimate the number of payments and expenditure, here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2023-to-2024/background-and-methodology-cold-weather-payment-estimates-2023-to-2024

2) Figures are shown by the week or month the payment was triggered - that is, the day that the recorded/forecasted temperatures for the seven

day period caused payments to be authorised. The recipient should receive the payment within 14 days.

3) All volumes are rounded to the nearest 1,000

4) The figures include claimants meeting the legacy benefit and Universal Credit eligibility criteria for Cold Weather Payments.

Future publications for the 2024-25 Cold Weather Season can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2024-to-2025

The Cold Weather Payment (CWP) scheme is administered at weather station level rather than at a constituency or regional level etc. 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° C or below over seven consecutive days, during the Cold Weather season (November to March).

a) The area of South Holland covers all or part of the following postcode areas: PE11, PE12, PE10, PE6, PE13, PE14, PE34.

From the 2019/20 to 2023/24 Cold Weather Payment seasons, the above postcode areas are covered by various weather stations. These weather stations cover the following postcode areas, in Table 1, which include areas not in South Holland. Table 2 shows the number of cold weather payments to pensioners by weather station and cold weather season.

Table 1: Postcode districts mapped to Weather Stations

Table 2: Number of Cold Weather Payments to pensioners by weather station and Cold Weather Season

b) The area of South Kesteven covers all or part of the following postcode areas: PE6, PE9, PE10, NG23, NG31, NG32, NG33, NG34.

From the 2019/20 to 2023/24 Cold Weather Payment seasons, the above postcode areas are covered by various weather stations. These weather stations cover the following postcode areas, in Table 3, which include areas not in South Kesteven. Table 4 shows the number of cold weather payments to pensioners by weather station and cold weather season.

Table 3: Postcode districts mapped to Weather Stations

Table 4: Number of Cold Weather Payments to pensioners by weather station and Cold Weather Season

The Department continually monitors Cold Weather Payment policies and procedures to identify opportunities to improve the scheme's effectiveness. This includes working with the Met Office, who review the scheme each year to assess whether the linkages between postcode areas and weather stations remain the best available.

The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why it is providing total support of over £94bn in 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals with their rising bills.

This winter over 8 million pensioner households will receive a £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment in addition to their conventional Winter Fuel Payment. This means that a household with someone aged 66-79 will receive an increased payment of £500 and a household with someone aged 80 or over will receive an increased payment of £600. Most payments will be made automatically in November and December.

Cold Weather Payments are also available to help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits in England and Wales to meet additional heating costs, during periods of unseasonably cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. This includes older people in receipt of Pension Credit. Those eligible will automatically receive £25 when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days.

We continue to maximise opportunities to raise awareness of Pension Credit. On 28 November, we launched the ‘Countdown to Deadline Day’ media push, highlighting that there is still time to apply for Pension Credit by the 10 December and be eligible for a £300 Cost of Living Payment (payable to those on income-related benefits including Pension Credit), thanks to the Pension Credit backdating rules. Our messaging also emphasises that the average Pension Credit award is now worth over £3,900 per year and that an award of Pension Credit can open the door to a range of other support, including help with housing costs, council tax and heating bills.

The Cold Weather Payment (CWP) scheme is administered at weather station level rather than at a constituency or regional 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° C or below over seven consecutive days, during the Cold Weather season (November to March).

The constituency of Hornsey and Wood Green covers all or part of the following postcode areas: N2, N4, N6, N8, N10, N11, N13, N17, N22 and N81[1].

For the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Cold Weather Payment seasons, the above postcode areas are covered by the weather station Heathrow. Heathrow weather station covers the following postcode areas, in Table 1, which include constituencies other than Hornsey and Wood Green.

Qualifying individuals living in these postcode districts will have received a payment in respect of a seven-day period of Cold Weather.

For the 21/22 Cold Weather Payment season, running from 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2022, there were 0 Cold Weather Payment triggers for Heathrow weather station.

For the 22/23 Cold Weather Payment season, running from 1 November 2022 to 31 March 2023, there was 1 Cold Weather Payment trigger for Heathrow weather station. The estimated payments to Pension Credit recipients during 22/23 Cold Weather Payment season is 180,000, equating to an estimated spend of £4.5 million.

[1] Postcode information was obtained from the ONS Postcode Directory (November 2023): ONS Postcode Directory (November 2023) | Open Geography Portal (statistics.gov.uk)

There are currently no plans to change the Cold Weather Payment scheme.

A £25 payment is made when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0ºC or below over seven days at the weather station linked to the eligible customer's postcode. The seven consecutive days is a clear and reasonable measure of a sustained period of cold weather. A payment is made automatically within 14 working days of a trigger to ensure claimants receive payments at the time of need.