MILLIONS of eligible households have already received a cold weather payment this winter.
The payments, worth £25, go out to homes when temperatures drop below zero degrees.
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Around five million homes have already received a cold weather payment this winter, according to Comparethemarket.
Altogether, £131million has been dished out across 112 postcodes between November 1, 2022 and February 3, 2023.
The scheme has been active from November 1 and will continue up until March 31, 2023.
You get £25 for each seven-day period where the weather is below zero Celsius on average during this time frame.
You can check if your area has had a cold weather payment by popping your postcode into the government’s tool on its website.
If every postcode was triggered, it’s estimated about 3,714,000 Brits would be eligible for the payment.
Ursula Gibbs, director at Comparethemarket said: “Cold weather conditions have significantly impacted several households this winter. An increasing number of cold weather snaps has increased the number of households eligible to receive cold weather payments from the DWP.
“If you are eligible, we encourage you to claim the £25 you are entitled to. Energy bills have soared in the last year and this payment may help offset rising fuel costs during periods of extremely cold weather.”
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You can see a full list of postcodes eligible for cold weather payments in our guide here.
But this is just for households within England and Wales, you won’t get a cold weather payment in Scotland because the scheme has been replaced.
Instead you might get an annual £50 Winter Heating Payment. You can find out more about the scheme on the Scottish Government website.
Who is eligible for a cold weather payment?
You’re eligible for the cold weather payment scheme if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits and meet certain criteria:
Depending on your specific circumstances, you may also need to meet one or more of the following additional criteria:
- Have a disability or be in receipt of pension premium
- Have a child who is disabled
- Be in receipt of child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
- Have a severe or enhanced disability premium
- Be in receipt of a limited capability for work amount
- Have a child under five living with you
Regardless of employment, Universal Credit claimants are eligible if they have a disabled child amount in their claim.
You can find out more about eligibility on the government’s website.
How do I apply for the cold weather payment?
You don’t need to apply for the cold weather payment as it’s paid automatically to those who are eligible.
How is it paid?
The payments should arrive within 14 working days of the temperature dipping below zero degrees.
The cash is paid into the same bank or building society account as the one used to pay benefits, and doesn’t affect any other allowances you may claim.
What to do if you don’t receive a payment
If you don’t receive a payment and believe you’re eligible then you can tell your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office, or call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
If you’re getting Universal Credit, you can also sign in to your account and add a note to your journal.
If you go into hospital, this could affect your claim so make sure you tell someone using the contact details above.
More bill help
Low income households can get up to £150 towards their electricity bills with the government’s warm home discount scheme.
You can save money on your energy bill by turning off appliances – these are the seven worst to leave on standby.
And wearing a jumper could slash £400 a year from your energy bills.
Millions on benefits and Universal Credit will also receive an extra one-off £900.
Eight million households currently get cost-of-living payments worth up to £650, but eligibility criteria could change under any new rules.
Pensioners have also started getting a £300 one-off payment.
The current pensioner cost of living payment is being handed out to millions on a low income.
You qualify under the current rules if you normally get the winter fuel payment, but this could change under the new rules.
