Cold Weather Payments triggered

Cold Weather Payments are made to recipients of selected benefits. 

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 DWP’s Cold Weather Payment pages provide further information for claimants.

The alert was triggered for the period 4/12/2022 to 10/12/2022. 

£25 will be paid to eligible residents within the Hexham constituency living in the following postcode districts: CA9, DH8, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49.

For more information, visit: gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility

Pension Credit

I've been with the Pensions Minister Laura Trott MP making the case for Pension Credit.

Checking eligibility and applying for Pension Credit by 18 December 2022 – just ten days away – will mean pensioners could also receive a £324 boost thanks to Pension Credit backdating rules.

The average Pension Credit award is worth over £3,500 a year and even a small Pension Credit award can provide access to a wide range of other benefits – such as help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills – in addition to the extra cost of living payments.

Claims can be made online and over the phone, with the Pension Credit calculator on hand to help pensioners see if they’re likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.

Pension Credit tops up a person’s income to a minimum of £182.60 per week for single pensioners and to £278.70 for couples.

Currently, around 1.4 million pensioners in Britain receive Pension Credit. However, many are still not claiming this extra financial help.

Applications for Pension Credit can be made in the three following ways:

1) On the How to Claim page: Pension Credit: How to claim - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

2) Over the phone by calling 0800 99 1234 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm)

3) By printing out and filling in a paper application form: Pension Credit claim form - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Positive Prudhoe Drill Hall update

I am pleased that following our campaign magistrates have granted an order under The Building Act Section 77, which gives Northumberland County Council the power to carry out works six weeks from last Friday to prevent the current danger at Prudhoe Drill Hall. 

The six-week period is to allow the owner time to organise and undertake the work.

There will be at least weekly site inspections and the council will take action should the building deteriorate. 

I welcome this update and I will continue to work with NCC to ensure this dangerous eyesore is dealt with.

Interview with Gloria De Piero on baby loss and my brain tumour

I discussed baby loss, “take home children”, brain tumours and more with Gloria De Piero last week. 

Full credit to my Labour colleague Toby Perkins MP who has also spoken about his baby loss. 

Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xbYeU78P8U

News report here: MPs bravely reveal personal pain of child loss ahead of new bill aiming to support bereaved parents - 'A little bit of you dies' (gbnews.uk) 

Haltwhistle fire - latest updates

I am aware of the overnight fire in Haltwhistle.

I'm in contact with the local agencies coordinating the response.

Please visit: Northumberland County Council - Firefighters tackling major fire in Haltwhistle for regular updates. 

If you would like to raise an issue, please contact me on: guy.opperman@parliament.uk.