Extra Cold Weather Payments for Parts Of Northern Ireland

Further Cold Weather Payments as temperatures drop

The latest spell of cold weather has triggered a further round of Cold Weather Payments for parts of Northern Ireland.

A further £1million will be paid automatically to approximately 43,000 people who qualify for the payment and are living in the postcode areas covered by the Met Office’s Katesbridge and Glenanne weather stations.

The postcode areas affected are BT24-26, BT30-35 and BT60-71.  Only those qualifying customers living in these postcode areas will receive the £25 payment.  The Department for Communities will make the payments automatically and there is no need to make a claim.  Customers can expect to receive their payment on Wednesday 7 March 2018.

The Cold Weather Payment is available when the average temperature is recorded, or is forecast to be zero degrees centigrade or below, for a period of seven consecutive days.

Notes to editors:

1.  To qualify for a Cold Weather payment a person must be receiving:

State Pension Credit; income related Employment and Support Allowance and are in the Work Related Activity or Support Group; Universal Credit that includes an amount in respect of a disabled child or qualifying young person for at least one day in a period of cold weather; or

 Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance or income related Employment and Support Allowance for at least one day in a period of cold weather; and

• * have a dependent child aged under five;
• * have a relevant pensioner or disability premium;
• * be entitled to Child Tax Credit for a child or qualifying young person who is disabled or severely disabled; or

Universal Credit for at least one day in a period of cold weather, and:

• * where a cold weather payment is payable in relation to a recorded period of cold weather they must not be employed or self-employed on any day during that period and:
• * have a child aged under five;
• * be in receipt of or have an underlying entitlement to Limited Capability for Work or Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity;
• * where a cold weather payment is payable in relation to a forecasted period of cold weather they must not be employed or self-employed on the day that the Meteorological Office supplies the Department with the forecast and:
• * have a child aged under five;
• * be in receipt of or have an underlying entitlement to Limited Capability for Work or Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity.

2.  The Cold Weather Payment trigger was reached at Katesbridge weather station based on a forecast of the temperature over the seven day period from 26 February 2018 to 4 March 2018.  The trigger was reached at Glenanne weather station based on a forecast of the temperature over the seven day period from 27 February 2018 to 5 March 2018.

3.  The payments are made automatically and people do not have to make a claim.  Cold Weather Payments are in addition to the Winter Fuel Payments of £200 and over, made to people born on or before 5 August 1953.

4.  So far this winter, the Department for Communities will have paid out £1.4 million in Cold Weather Payments.

ABC Note: What is the legal temperature requirement?

There is no law outlining the maximum, or minimum temperatures that an office environment should be. However, the Health and Safety Executive states that employers are legally obliged to provide a “reasonable” temperature in the workplace, under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

According to its Approved Code of Practice, a workplace should be at least 16°C, or at least 13°C if a person's work involves physical effort.

The official government website, Gov.uk says: "During working hours the temperature in all indoor work places must be reasonable. There’s no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures, eg when it’s too cold or too hot to work.

"However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work. There’s no guidance for a maximum temperature limit.