The North East may well get snow this week, as temperatures are set to plunge from Wednesday onwards. The Met Office has issued its first snow warning of this winter for northern Scotland on Wednesday, and although we're not expecting it to disrupt travel here, snow is on the cards in our region later this week.
Forecasts suggest “Turning colder from Wednesday, with widespread overnight frosts. Snow showers across northern Scotland and perhaps parts of Northern Ireland and North East England."
The news will be a bitter blow to families already struggling with the cost of heating their home amid the cost of living crisis. And although households claiming certain benefits can get an extra £25 to help cope with winter bills until March, the Cold Weather Payment is only triggered if the thermometer dips below freezing on average for seven days in a row.
Read more: Severe cold weather alert issued by Met Office as temperatures set to plummet
The support could be a welcome boost this year to many families on low incomes, as energy bills soar. The energy price guarantee scheme announced by the Government brought the cost to the average family down to £2500 a year instead of the £3,549 a year set under the energy price cap, but it's still nearly double the £1,277 a year the average family was paying last year. And remember the £2500 quoted is for an average family - use more and you'll pay more..
Figures published by the Government this year show that although there are an estimated four million eligible recipients for Cold Weather Payments in the UK, the occasions when the payments are made are few and far between. Last year, there was only six triggers in the whole of the November-March period, and all of them were in Scotland from late December to early January.
You can check if your postcode is due a payment here. If you do qualify for a Cold Weather Payment, you’ll be paid automatically and the money should arrive in the bank account you already have registered with the DWP.
How does the Cold Weather Payment work?
- The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ), supported by the Met Office.
- The scheme links postcode districts to weather stations that report to the Met Office every day. Each postcode district is assigned to a weather station.
- Every day from November 1 to March 31, the Met Office records the average daily temperature from each of the 72 Weather Stations and then uses the daily averages from the previous seven days to produce a single seven day average. It also forecasts the average over the next 7 days.
- DWP uses this information to determine whether any weather stations have “triggered” for a Cold Weather Payment.
- In a case of a trigger, a payment of £25 will be automatically issued to any eligible person living in the area covered by that weather station. The recipient should receive the payment within 14 days.
Are you likely to get a cold weather payment for this week?
Although it's set to be very cold, whether you will get a payment for this week depends on the specific temperatures and remember, the mercury has to drop to 0°C or below for seven consecutive days to trigger the payment. So even if it's below freezing for six days, if the temperature rises on the seventh day, the clock will reset to zero and the counting will start again.
The Met Office forecast only shows seven days, and as today and tomorrow have daytime averages of showing of 6° and 5°C, it's impossible to tell whether the spell of cold weather due later this week will trigger a cold weather payment.
We've looked at five towns in our area to see what the next week has in prospect, and the temperatures we can see up to the weekend would not trigger a cold weather payment, although Monday, December 12 and Tuesday, December 13 would have to be taken into account for the full seven-day period.
Newcastle
Tuesday, December 6: High: 5°C, Low: 1°C
Wednesday, December 7: High: 3°C, Low: -1°C
Thursday, December 8: High: 2°C, Low: -2°C
Friday, December 9: High: 2°C, Low: -1°C
Saturday, December 10: High: 2°C, Low: -1°C
Sunday, December 11: High: 4°C, Low: -1°C
Hexham, Northumberland
Tuesday, December 6: High: 5°C, Low: 0°C
Wednesday, December 7: High: 3°C, Low: -2°C
Thursday, December 8: High: 2°C, Low: -3°C
Friday, December 9: High: 2°C, Low: -3°C
Saturday, December 10: High: 2°C, Low: -3°C
Sunday, December 11: High: 3°C, Low: -2°C
Durham
Tuesday, December 6: High: 5°C, Low: 0°C
Wednesday, December 7: High: 3°C, Low: -3°C
Thursday, December 8: High: 2°C, Low: -4°C
Friday, December 9: High: 2°C, Low: -4°C
Saturday, December 10: High: 2°C, Low: -4°C
Sunday, December 11: High: 2°C, Low: -4°C
Sunderland
Tuesday, December 6: High: 6°C, Low: 2°C
Wednesday, December 7: High: 3°C, Low: -1°C
Thursday, December 8: High: 2°C, Low: -2°C
Friday, December 9: High: 2°C, Low: -2°C
Saturday, December 10: High: 2°C, Low: -2°C
Sunday, December 11: High: 3°C, Low: -1°C
Morpeth, Northumberland
Tuesday, December 6: High: 6°C, Low: 1°C
Wednesday, December 7: High: 3°C, Low: -1°C
Thursday, December 8: High: 2°C,Low: -2°C
Friday, December 9: High: 2°C, Low: -1°C
Saturday, December 10: High: 3°C, Low: -1°C
Sunday, December 11: High: 4°C, Low: 0°C
Who will get a payment if one is triggered?
You will be sent a payment automatically should the weather trigger one if you claim one of the following benefits:
Pension Credit
Income Support: You’ll usually get the cold weather payments if you're paid a disability or pensioner premium, have a child who is disabled, claim Child Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element or have a child under 5 living with you
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance: You’ll usually get the cold weather payments if you're paid a disability or pensioner premium, have a child who is disabled, claim Child Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element or have a child under 5 living with you
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance: You’ll usually get cold weather payments if you get income-related ESA and are in a work-related activity group or support group. If you’re not in either group, you might also get the payments if you receive a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, have a child who is disabled, claim Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or have an under5 living with you.
Universal Credit: You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Universal Credit and you’re not employed or self-employed. One of the following must also apply: you have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity) or you have a child under 5 living with you. You’ll also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you’re employed or not.
Support for Mortgage Interest: You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you have any of the following: Aa severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, claim Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or have a child under 5 living with you.
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