Cold weather payments will be made to eligible people in east Kent following the low temperatures last week.

MP Julian Brazier raised the payment of this benefit with Rosie Winterton, Minister of State at the Department of Work and Pensions, after being told that people in west Kent were to get the payments while those in east Kent were not.

Mr Brazier said he could not understand why there should be a discrepancy between the two areas of the county when both were equally cold.

He has now been told that eligible people in east Kent will receive the money.

This year those who qualify will get £25 when the average temperature where they live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days from November 1 to March 31. Specified meteorological office weather stations are used to obtain this information.

Cold weather payments are automatically paid for those who qualify.