Cold Weather Payments

EDM number 161 in 1996-97, proposed by Liz Lynne on 07/11/1996.

That this House notes that the most recent Government figures show that in 1995 251 people aged 80 years or over died in England and Wales with hypothermia mentioned on the death certificate as the main contributory cause of death; notes that this figure is certainly an underestimate of the real number of deaths; notes that according to Age Concern a third of all pensioner households have an indoor winter temperature below 16C (61F) which is the temperature at which shops and offices can legally be closed down; notes further that the current cold weather payments seven day rule fails to give pensioners the confidence to start heating their households as soon as severe cold weather starts, that cold weather payments are limited to pensioners on income support yet the take-up rate of income support is lowest amongst pensioners with one third of eligible pensioners not taking up income support and that the cold weather payments system only includes one flat payment whatever the severity of weather; and therefore calls upon the Government to urgently consider relaxing the strict rules on the cold weather payments system to ensure that all pensioners are able to heat their homes adequately from the onset of severe cold weather and ensure that the shameful number of pensioners that die each year from hypothermia is greatly reduced.

This motion has been signed by a total of 50 MPs.