'Many' miss out on cold weather payments due to location

Thousands of vulnerable people could be missing out on Cold Weather Payments because of the way eligibility is assessed, it has been claimed.

The £25-a-week payment is triggered when temperatures dip below zero for seven days.

But one MP says some weather stations used to measure temperatures are in coastal areas - which can be warmer.

The UK government said it uses stations linked to postcode areas to provide the most stable readings.

Cold Weather Payments are made to those claiming benefits such as pension credit, job seekers allowance and universal credit.

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But the Welsh MP Hywel Williams said part of his constituency covering Snowdonia mountains had cold weather payments based on a weather station 20 miles away on the Anglesey coast.

Pensioner Llion Price lives in Deiniolen in the Arfon constituency - perched on a hillside facing Snowdon itself.

It can be a white-out on higher ground in Snowdonia - and not a flake on the island of Anglesey

He is just one of 244,000 people in Wales eligible for the payouts.

He said he received just one cold weather payment last year, despite it being one of the coldest winters villagers recalled in a decade.

"It doesn't make any sense whatsoever," he said.

"It's completely different weather on Anglesey, compared to here."

The list of weather stations serving Wales are drawn-up by the Met Office and UK government

The issue has prompted the Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon to introduce a Private Members Bill in the Commons next week calling on the UK government to carry out an annual review of the system and said he has cross-party support.

"Many vulnerable people in my Arfon constituency and indeed across Wales have repeatedly missed out on the winter payment because of this basic fault in the system," said Mr Williams.

"The temperature for upland settlements in Arfon as well as for Ynys Mon is measured on the sea shore at Mona, where it is consistently warmer."

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said: "The scheme links postcodes to the weather stations that provide the most stable and accurate readings for average temperatures.

"Each year we review the scheme, seeking expert advice from the Met Office, taking into account representations from MPs and the public."