Merseyside is currently under a yellow weather warning
Temperatures dropped below zero across many parts of the UK last night(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Temperatures dropped below zero across many parts of the UK last night, including Merseyside. It comes after the region has been placed under a yellow weather warning for snow and ice.
Commuters woke up this morning to a fresh blanket of snow and ice across the region and the ongoing traffic and travel chaos continues to wreak havoc. Merseyrail has activated its cold weather plan following another Met Office warning with many services cancelled and delayed.
As temperatures continue to drop across the UK many homes will receive a Cold Weather Payment. The financial boost is triggered if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be zero degrees or below over seven consecutive days.
You’ll get paid £25 for each seven day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2024 and March 21, 2025. You may be eligible for the Cold Weather Payment if you’re getting Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based jobseekers allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest.
You do not need to apply for the DWP payment. If you are eligible it will be paid into your bank account automatically. After each period of very cold weather in your area a payment of £25 should be made within fourteen working days.
It will be paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. If you think you should have been paid a Cold Weather Payment but haven’t, the DWP advise telling the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus.
You should tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you go into hospital as this could affect your payment. If you’re getting Universal Credit, sign in to your account and add a note to your journal. And if you do not have an online account, ring the Universal Credit helpline instead. The phone number is on letters about your Universal Credit.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Sunday. Amber alerts issued on Thursday have been extended and will now run until January 12, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “We are extending the duration of our Cold-Health Alert, since the Met Office are forecasting that the low temperatures we are seeing will continue further into this week, with snow and icy conditions likely to persist.
“This weather can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions, and it is therefore vital that we continue to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.”