Watford residents miss out on winter payments

11.42.56am GMT Mon 11th Jan 2010

Vulnerable Watford residents are missing out on vital payments towards their gas and electricity bills because the wrong weather station used to trigger cold weather payments, according to Watford LibDem prospective MP Sal Brinton.

Cold weather payments are made to pensioners, the disabled and parents with young children, who are on a low income. The payments are triggered when temperatures at a named weather station drop below 0 degrees Celsius for a seven day period.

Residents with a Watford postcode are grouped with central London and therefore have received a lower level of benefit that residents with a St. Albans or Hemel Hempstead postcode. So far this winter, residents of Bricket Wood and Nash Mills have received £75, whilst those nearby with a Watford postcode have received only £25.

Sal Brinton, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Watford said: "The current system is just daft. Watford, Abbots Langley and Carpenders Park have been just as cold or colder than neighbouring towns over the past couple of weeks, and several degrees colder than central London. However pensioners, the disabled and others in need in the Watford area have received £50 less towards their bills".

"Energy bills are high and dominate many people's household budgets. At this time of year, with the recent snow and freezing temperatures, the cost of heating a home to keep out the cold is very high. Many local people desperately need the cold weather payment to make ends meet. I have written to the Minister to demand that a more appropriate weather station can be used to determine the temperatures for the Watford area."

Local resident Joan Goodchild was shocked when she discovered that she was missing out on £50 compared to her neighbours. Joan added: 'I was shocked to discover that I am assessed differently to someone in Bricket Wood and St Albans, and I don't understand why we are lumped in with the whole of London.'