§ 24. Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning his Department's arrangements for cold weather payments; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI have received no recent representations. I would like to remind the hon. Member about the significant improvements to the cold weather payments scheme announced on 3 November 1988 in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for York (Mr. Gregory) at column752. First, eligibility was extended to families on income support with a child under age five rather than under age two. Secondly, the rules for measuring periods of cold weather were altered so that any spell of seven consecutive days when the temperature averages 0 C or below will trigger a payment.
These changes roughly double the potential for making cold weather payments and are in addition to the improvements announced on 7 October whereby, for the first time, eligibility was extended to income support pensioners age 60 to 64 and non-householders receiving income support who fall into the eligible categories.