Cold snap triggers cold weather payments

The Department for Social Development is to make Cold Weather Payments following extremely low temperatures across Northern Ireland.

The Cold Weather Payment is available to low income houses when the temperature is actually or forecast to be zero degrees Celsius or below for a period of seven consecutive days.

Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie said: “I am glad that we have been able to make this help available to those who need it most during this very cold spell. This £25 payment will be additional to those other fuel payments people receive. It will be paid automatically to approximately 166,000 qualifying households by the Social Security Agency to across Northern Ireland.”

To qualify for the payment a person must be receiving State Pension Credit, Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (Income based) or Employment and Support Allowance (Income related) for one day in the period of cold weather and have one of the following:

• a relevant pensioner or disability premium
• Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
• a child under five-years-old
• an applicable amount of Employment and Support Allowance that includes either the support component or the work-related activity component.

The Cold Weather Payments will be issued from 28 December 2009 either by direct payment to customer accounts or by cheque.

Notes to editors:

1. Cold Weather Payments are triggered when the daily temperature is, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below, for a period of seven consecutive days. The temperature measurement is made by five meteorological stations located at Aldergrove, Ballykelly, Castlederg, Katesbridge, and Enniskillen.
2. The payments are made automatically and people do not have to make a claim. Cold Weather Payments are made in addition to the Winter Fuel Payments of £250 and over, made to people aged over 60 years.
3. It was triggered by information supplied by the Met Office from its Aldergrove, Ballykelly, Castlederg, Katesbridge, and Enniskillen weather stations. The Castlederg, Katesbridge and Enniskillen Weather Stations had forecast sub-zero temperatures over a seven-day period from 19 December 2009 to 25 December 2009. The Aldergrove Weather Station recorded sub-zero temperatures retrospectively over this period and the Ballykelly Weather Stations recorded sub-zero temperatures retrospectively over the period 20 December 2009 to 26 December 2009.
4. For photograph and media enquiries please contact DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9496. Out of office hours please contact Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.