Cold Weather Payments extended to additional local postcode areas

COLD Weather Payments have been extended to more postcode areas across the district as temperatures remain at freezing point and below.

NI Direct have issued a statement informing the public that those eligible will receive £25 for each seven day period of very cold weather between November 1 and March 31.

The payments will be made automatically to eligible people in the Castlederg and Thomastown areas of BT78, BT79, BT81, BT82, BT74, BT75, BT76, BT77, BT92, BT93 and BT94.

The Met Office notifies the Department for Communities when the trigger for Cold Weather Payments has been reached, that is when the average temperature is, or is forecast to be, zero degrees centigrade or below over seven consecutive days. Only those qualifying customers living in these postcode areas will receive the payment. The payments will be made automatically and there is no need to make a claim.

Those who qualify in the Castlederg area can expect to receive their payment by Wednesday December 21.

This announcement comes after temperatures in Castlederg plummeted as low as -9.5C on Monday, the coldest night of the year so far in Northern Ireland.

Further information on eligibility for Cold Weather Payments can be found on NI Direct website at: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/cold-weather-payment