Cold snap triggers cold weather payments
04 January 2010
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.
