Cold Weather Payment triggered for Caithness
As temperatures remain low this week, a Cold Weather Payment (CWP) has been triggered for areas of the far north including Caithness.
The UK Government’s CWP is a £25 payment to help with fuel costs during periods of very cold weather. The period must cover seven consecutive days, between November 1 and March 31, when the average temperature must be zero degrees Celsius or below. The £25 can be paid multiple times if the seven consecutive day criteria are met.
A Met Office weather station based at Wick John O'Groats Airport was triggered today and another at Kinloss on Tuesday for the period between Feb 9 to Feb 16 and covering areas of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
The payments are made to recipients of selected benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Cold Weather Payment pages provide further information for claimants www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility
The DWP also publishes statistics on the current CWP season at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2020-to-2021
Help is at hand for people struggling with fuel poverty
