After a prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures in the Lorn area this winter Jim Mather, Argyll’s MSP, has been approached by several constituents concerned about the level of Cold Weather Payments determined by the Department of Works and Pensions.
As a result he has been involved with correspondence on this matter with the DWP and is seeking alteration to the present scheme to reflect the true situation for eligible constituents.
The problem was that after what we lived through as a prolonged – almost a month long – period of prolonged sub zero temperatures, Cold Weather Payments to eligible residents in Oban and Lorn were awarded for only a single week.
Such payments are additional to the Winter Fuel supplement and are paid each complete 7 day period that the temperature remains below zero. The payments go to those considered to be particularly vulnerable to cold weather and may incur extra expense with fuel bills. The current payment level is £25 per week.
The basis of the scheme is that Control points – whose daily temperatures are recorded, are used to determine whether or not their areas will qualify for payments.
The Control point for the Oban area is at the Met Station in Machrihanish and there lies the problem. Machrihanish is some 90 miles south of Oban and while both derive benefit from the North Atlantic Drift it is clear that Machrihanish with its palm trees has a milder climate. On one day in early January the temperature in Kintyre was +2C while in Connel it was -10C.
Mr Mather says: ‘I have contacted the DWP about this and pointed out the present anomalies that exist and how these affect my constituents. I have been assured that Control points are under constant revision and that my representations will be taken into account.
‘I will keep a careful watch on future developments in this matter’.
How long would it have taken the DWP to see the error of its ways had the equally ridiculous monitoring point say the summit of Cruachan had been used, or come to that Coll or Tiree?
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The DWP in London, with a London postcode(SW1) is only likely to see the error of its ways if these are pointed out to them and that involves people speaking out and speaking up.
It should be recognised that the post code system was devised by the Post Office to assist in the delivery of machine sorted mail and is used by many other organisations for very different and often unrelated purposes. The Paisley (PA) postcode covers an area from Paisley to the Inner Hebidean Islands of Tiree and Coll and including both Machrihanish and Oban. Apparently other areas with Paisley post codes are linked to Control Points in Glasgow Bridgeton with a Glasgow(G) postcode or to Tulloch Bridge in Glen Spean, with a Perth (PH) postcode.
There may be some strange logic in this but I can’t decipher it.
Could be just another thing that we would be better managing ourselves.
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