County to get cold weather cash

Oxfordshire has experienced the UK's lowest temperature this week

Cold weather payments will be made to eligible residents in Oxfordshire after a weather station forecast more than seven days of below-zero temperatures.

Officials had said payments would not be made as temperatures at the official weather station in Brize Norton were not shown to be low enough.

The money is paid when temperatures fall to 0C for seven consecutive days.

But now the government said that based on the forecast up to Sunday, the payments will be made.

The readings for most of the county are made at the station at RAF Brize Norton.

'A muddle'

But residents and an MP said the station could not accurately gauge weather in places up to 40 miles away.

On Tuesday, the temperature dropped to nearly -12C in Benson in the county, making it colder than Moscow and Reykjavik.

People in Thame and Henley are already expecting to receive the £25 a week payment because they are covered by High Wycombe weather station which showed colder readings.

The whole thing just seems slightly daft Tony Baldry MP

The payment, which goes to people in receipt of certain benefits - mainly pensioners, severely disabled people and families with a young or severely disabled child - rose this year from £8.50 to £25 a week for each spell of cold weather.

Banbury MP Tony Baldry said the situation was "a muddle" and he had written to Works and Pensions Minister James Purnell to see if it could be rectified.

"It doesn't give any confidence in the integrity of the system.

"Even people in Benson were told they wouldn't get a payment even though it was -12C.

"The whole thing just seems slightly daft."

Bee Myson, of Age Concern in Oxfordshire, said: "We are constantly aware of people who just fall outside the benefit entitlement.

"It is annoying to them not to be able to claim the extra amount."

Oxfordshire MP John Howell said the government was to blame for the confusion.

"This policy was rushed in," he said.

"The government do not think through what the implications will be for people who are affected by it."