To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) Hemel Hempstead, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) the UK which will be eligible for cold weather payments if the temperature falls below the level which triggers payment of the allowance in 2008-09. (243980)

The temperature criterion for cold weather payments is that the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0° C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode.

The estimated number of benefit units¹ eligible for cold weather payments is not available by local authority, parliamentary constituency or county, but only by weather station.

The estimated number of benefit units¹ eligible for cold weather payments in Great Britain in 2008-09 if the temperature criterion is met is 4.1 million.

¹ Cold weather payments are made to benefit units rather than households. For example, a disabled adult on income support living with his mother on pension credit counts as two benefit units but would be thought of as one household.

Notes:

1. The estimate is the one most recently available, but it is only an estimate.

2. Estimates of the number of benefit units eligible for cold weather payments are not available by parliamentary constituency or county.

3. Information regarding cold weather payments in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland office. estimates of the number of households eligible for cold weather payments are not available.

Source:

Analysis of a scan of benefit recipients eligible for cold weather payments taken at the end of October 2008.