Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/1724) (“the 1988 Regulations”) by removing the Schedules to the 1988 Regulations which contain weather stations and relevant postcode districts and providing that the Secretary of State must designate primary stations for each postcode district, may designate secondary stations for each postcode district, and must publish details of those designations.

Regulation 2 sets out amendments to the 1988 Regulations.

Paragraph (2)(a) substitutes a new definition of “Met Office” for the definition of “Meteorological Office” in regulation 1(2) of the 1988 Regulations. Paragraph (2)(b) and (3) make consequential changes to the 1988 Regulations.

Paragraph (4) amends regulation 2 of the 1988 Regulations by making provision for a secondary station or an alternative station to be used in certain circumstances to determine whether there is a forecasted or recorded period of cold weather at the relevant primary station. The Met Office will determine alternative stations for primary stations in certain circumstances. Where the home of a claimant is not situated within a postcode district for which a primary station is designated, the home is to be treated as if it were situated within such a postcode district; the Met Office will choose the postcode district (for which a primary station is designated) that is the most geographically and climatologically representative of the postcode district in which the home of the claimant is situated.

Paragraph (5) makes provision about the designation of primary and secondary stations, the publication of those designations, and the review and variation of designations.

Paragraph (6) revokes Schedules 1 and 2 to the 1988 Regulations.

The Postcode Atlas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the postcode maps may be obtained from Harper Collins, United Kingdom, 2012, ISBN 0007443072. A person may establish the current postcode for his or her address by contacting the Royal Mail Postcode Enquiries office (telephone 0906 302 1222 (Monday to Friday, 8am – 4pm) or 08457 111 222 (Monday – Friday, 4pm – 6pm and Saturday, 8am – 1pm)) or through the Royal Mail Website at www.royalmail.com.

A full impact assessment has not been published for this instrument as no impact on the private sector or civil society organisations is foreseen.