Hundreds of thousands of households are due to receive money from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after Cold Weather Payments were triggered in as many as 160 areas.
Cold Weather Payments, which are worth £25 each, are distributed when the weather drops to zero degrees or below for seven days in a row.
The scheme runs until March, and people in receipt of certain DWP benefits qualify for the support.
After last week’s particularly cold spell, the DWP announced on Thursday that the payments have been triggered. Around 170,000 low-income households are set to receive one.
The money is paid to those eligible automatically, meaning households don’t need to claim them.
How to check if your postcode is due a Cold Weather Payment
People can find out if their postcode is due a Cold Weather Payment by using the Government tool.
The calculators vary by country, so it’s important for residents of England, Wales, or Northern Ireland to select the correct one.
The money will appear in bank statements within 14 days of each seven days of very cold weather.
The payment reference will start with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’ for people in England and Wales.
Who is eligible for Cold Weather Payments?
To qualify for Cold Weather Payments, an individual must be receiving one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
There are certain requirements with each benefit that entitle a person to receive payment, such as also having a disability or pensioner premium, or if they’re living with a child under five.
To find out the full list of requirements for each benefit, people can visit the Government webpage.
Around 1.4 million Cold Weather Payments have been made available so far this winter. Of the 3.9 million people eligible for the DWP‘s payment scheme, 1.2 million receive Pension Credit.
