DWP pays out more than £4million to Cold Weather Payment postcodes

New analysis has found that the payments have already been triggered 12 times

New anaylsis of government statistics has found that more than £4million has been distributed in 161,000 Cold Weather Payments this winter so far. The DWP scheme, which provides £25 payments to eligible households when local weather station records temperatures at or below 0C for seven consecutive days, has already been triggered 12 times due to sub-zero conditions, according to Uswitch.com’s number-crunching.

These payments are automatically sent within 14 working days of the trigger event. Households may qualify if they receive certain benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), such as Pension Credit.

This winter, the scheme has been activated twice in postcode areas including Penrith in Cumbria, Otterburn, Northumberland and Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway. Areas where the scheme has been triggered once include Alnwick, Northumberland; Bradford, West Yorkshire; Leek, Staffordshire; Hawes, North Yorkshire; Duns, Scottish Borders; and Llanwddyn, Powys.

Cold Weather Payment areas so far this winter

Despite the cold snap this January, only nine areas met the criteria for the Cold Weather Payments. The 12 triggers this winter are the lowest amount of payments for this point in the year since 2021/22, when the allowance was triggered only six times in the whole winter.

Source: Uswitch.com

It was a different story in the winter of 2022/3, when 89 locations had been triggered between November and the third week of January. That year’s winter saw a massive 118 triggers, which resulted in allowances of £138million being paid out.

Residents near the Albemarle weather station near Alnwick, Northumberland, have seen the highest Cold Weather Payments in the past four winters. The weather station has been triggered six times in that period, with the 663,000 eligible residents receiving more than £16million in that time.

Highest Cold Weather Payments since November 2022

Source: Uswitch.com analysis of data from the Department for Work and Pensions

Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Many households across the country have experienced freezing temperatures in the past few weeks. Cold Weather Payments help many vulnerable people keep the heating on when they might not be able to afford it, and they are more valuable than ever.

“There are plenty of ways you can act to keep warm when the mercury plunges, including bleeding your radiators regularly to prevent them from getting cold spots and keeping obstructions such as sofas away from them, as the objects will absorb the heat. Draught-proofing is another quick and cost-effective way to reduce how much heat your home loses and can even save you around £20 per year on your energy bills.

“For all households, to keep costs down it’s important to track your energy usage and change your habits in a safe and manageable way. Anyone who is worried about paying their energy bill should reach out to their supplier, which might be able to offer advice or support.”

Staying warm in winter

Use a hot water bottle – a classic hot water bottle can make all the difference to your body temperature, especially if you’re working from home and spend time sitting at a desk.

Drink up – Pop the kettle on and keep yourself warm by drinking hot drinks. Better still, warm liquids such as herbal tea count towards your daily water consumption.

Enjoy a good hot meal – Hot food like soups, stews, and your winter favourites are not only a great way to sustain your energy, they will warm you from the inside.

Wear slippers and cover your extremities to heat up your joints – a hat, scarf, and fingerless gloves will prevent your temperature dropping when you’re less active, while ensuring you stay comfortable.

Wear layers of clothing – opt for a thermal vest as a base layer and wear more on top so that, if you do get a bit warm, it’s easier to peel back the layers and cool down as and when you need to.