DWP warned 4,000 people could die due to winter payment rule change

The report - released in 2017 - warned that the slashing on the benefit would increase excess deaths by 3,850.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


The Department for Work and Pensions and Labour Party government have been warned 4,000 people could die as the result of a £300 Winter Fuel Payment cut. The report - released in 2017 - warned that the slashing on the benefit would increase excess deaths by 3,850.

In a long-term outlook and forecast for winter, meteorologists say October to December could be "more settled", while "January may be more changeable". The forecast reads: "Current expectations for UK winter 2024/25 are that we’ll see blocking high pressure dominate at times with an increase in colder spells.

"Northeasterly and easterly occurrences will be more frequent than previous UK winters." The Firewood Fund explained: "With the likelihood of colder temperatures, increased snowfall, and heightened storm activity, it’s advisable to prepare for a more severe winter season than usual.

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"La Niña’s influence, combined with a weak Polar Vortex and shifting atmospheric patterns, suggests that the UK could experience both frequent cold spells and significant winter storms." The Met Office explained: "When looking at forecasts beyond five days into the future the chaotic nature of the atmosphere starts to come into play - small events currently over the Atlantic can have potentially significant impacts on our weather in the UK in several days' time.

"Therefore whilst we can still forecast the general feel of the weather to a relatively high level of accuracy using our ensemble models, it becomes harder to offer local detail to as high a level of accuracy as our shorter range forecasts. For this reason our text forecasts for 5 days and beyond are written on the scale of the UK as a whole."

et Office meteorologists consider output from a range of weather models when writing these forecasts. These models include those from the Met Office as well as models from other global forecasting centres such as the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts ( ECMWF).