Cold Weather Payment and Big Energy Saving Month
/Alan Brown MP is calling on his constituents to check if they are eligible for the latest Cold Weather Payment.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced that residents of Kilmarnock and Loudoun may be eligible for a payment of £25 due to the recent freezing temperatures.
Those in receipt of certain benefits such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit may be eligible for the payment. To trigger the payments, the average temperature at a specified weather station must be recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below for seven consecutive days.
The alert was triggered last week (11thJanuary) for the period between 4th January and 10th January 2021.
And the MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun is asking his constituents to check their eligibility:
“This time of year can be difficult at the best of times never mind the current situation we all face. As we all have to do our part to save lives and protect the NHS by staying home in the fight against the virus, it is only natural we are going to use more heating, gas and electricity.
“I hope for those who are eligible that this payment will make a difference and soften the blow for what is a financially uncertain time for most people.
“If you are in receipt of either; Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest then you may be eligible for this £25 payment.
“After sharing on my social media platforms I have been contacted by some constituents who are frustrated that they are not entitled to this because they are not in receipt of the benefits listed. I would like to reinforce my stance that it is vital we must continue to support the most vulnerable in our society. I appreciate the pandemic is affecting every single person just now, but it is important to remind ourselves that the vulnerable are still in need of our support, we cannot let that slip.
“I’d also like to draw attention to Big Energy Savings Month which is a campaign run by Citizens Advice Bureau which commenced last week and runs for the whole of January.
“Recent figures released by the Scottish Government revealed 1 in 4 households in Scotland (over 600,000 households) find themselves in fuel poverty and official estimates suggest this could rise to 29 per cent of households as a result of the pandemic. With this in mind, Big Energy Saving Month is looking to raise public awareness of the simple changes people can make to help them save this winter.
“I would encourage my constituents to visit Citizens Advice Bureau’s website and social media channels or contact Energy Advisor Linda Corbett directly for more information on how to get involved.”
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