There is a simple way to check if Cold Weather Payments have been made in your area.
Temperatures have plummeted as wintery conditions have arrived in the UK. Merseyside has been particularly gripped by the cold snap as temperatures dropped below zero over a freezing weekend.
Many people will have turned on the central heating to stay warm during the cold conditions. However, energy bills remain high as the UK is still going through the cost of living crisis.
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Cold Weather Payments is one of the several schemes on offer to help support people with heating costs. Eligible claimants receive £25 each time the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.
This year's Cold Weather Payment scheme opened on November 1 and runs to the end of March 2024. In order to be eligible, you must be in receipt of specific benefits.
The temperature readings that decide if it's cold enough in your area are based on recordings made at the nearest local weather station. After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provide a simple way to check if payments have been made in your area. People can follow the link on their official website here and enter the first part of their postcode (e.g L1) to check.
A message will then show up confirming whether or not any Cold Weather Payments have been made. Money has so far been sent to people in more than 280 English postcodes. In order to qualify for Cold Weather Payments, you need to be receiving any of these:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
There are specific circumstances for some of those benefits to qualify for the scheme. You can find out more details of the Cold Weather Payment at GOV.UK.
There's no need to send in any application to receive the Cold Weather Payment. Any period until March 31, 2024 where temperatures reach qualifying levels will result in you receiving the extra cash.
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