AROUND 100 additional households are likely to benefit from changes to the system of cold weather payments announced by the Social Security Minister.
The payments, which are made for months when the aggregate daily temperature is below 15.5°C, are currently made to households including someone who is under three-year-old or over the age of 65, and those with entitlement to specific types of income support or long-term incapacity allowance.
Senator Elaine Millar, who returned to the role of Social Security Minister following this summer’s election, is proposing that eligibility will be extended to those with with care needs on par with, or higher than, the level 3 personal care element of the impairment component of the regulations for income support.
The report accompanying the proposition confirms that there will be no negative impact on payments to income support households. It is estimated that approximately 105 households will become eligible, with the overall cost of the payments increasing by around £21,000.
The proposed changes are set to be debated in the States Assembly in December.
