Cold weather payments: Have Newcastle’s freezing…

Cold weather payments: Have Newcastle’s freezing temperatures met the DWP’s threshold?

After snow blanketed much of the north east at the beginning of the week, temperatures stayed low. Forecasts predicted that despite sunny conditions, the freezing temperatures would continue.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a level three cold weather alert from Monday through to Friday. It means that there is “a 90% probability of severe cold weather and icy conditions”.

For those on certain benefits, the cold weather payment is a small relief that can help with the cost of keeping your heating on for a few extra minutes. To trigger the payment, weather in your area must be recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of zero degrees celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

If both you and your area qualify for the payment, you’ll get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather, between November 1 and March 31. It’s only available to those on certain benefits including:

Pension Credit
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit
Support for Mortgage Interest

If you are entitled to receive the benefit, it will be paid automatically into the same bank account or building society that you receive your benefit payments into.

Has Newcastle been cold enough to trigger the payments?

Newcastle postcodes are monitored by the Albermarle weather station in Northumberland. According to the Met Office, Albermarle has observed temperatures below freezing since the morning of January 16, with cold weather conditions between minus three and minus six degrees celsius.

This means that the clock has started ticking, but the threshold has not yet been reached. Temperatures will have to be an average of zero degrees or below every day for the rest of this week to qualify. The forecast suggests that during the day on Wednesday and Thursday, things will heat up above freezing to one or two degrees.

As this is just a forecast, things may change as the week goes on with recorded temperatures varying and as a result, the average temperature by Sunday may change. The Met Office shares the observations from weather stations from the past 24 hours on its website for those who like to keep track, while the DWP has a postcode checker that can list all the instances when the payment threshold has been reached.

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