Cold Weather Payments can provide much needed support for people struggling to keep their homes warm in extreme cold weather
As winter approaches, Cold Weather Payments are set to kick off in about a month’s time, with November 1 marking the beginning of eligibility for the £25 payments. This amount is distributed to qualifying households for each seven-day period where temperatures are recorded or forecasted to be zero degrees or below.
Last winter saw more than 1.4 million payments made, totalling approximately £35million across England and Wales. This represents an estimated increase of 220,000 from the previous winter.
The scheme operates annually from November through to March. During this period, the 71 Met Office weather stations scattered across residential postcodes in England and Wales monitor the daily average temperatures.
These daily averages from the preceding week are then used by the Met Office to generate a single seven-day average. They also predict what the seven-day average will be for the upcoming week.
If these figures are recorded or predicted to be zero degrees or below at a weather station, it triggers a payment for the corresponding residential postcode. The £25 payment is automatically issued to eligible individuals in the postcode and should be received within 14 days.
Throughout the Cold Weather Payment season, the DWP maintains an updated list of triggered postcodes on its website. These payments are intended to assist those most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, and more information about eligibility can be found on Gov.uk.
Benefits that are eligible for Cold Weather Payments:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
However, some of these benefits come with additional criteria that must be met. For instance, those on JSA must either receive a disability or pensioner premium, have a disabled child, or a child under five living with them.
Similarly, ESA recipients are usually only eligible if they are in a work-related activity group or support group. If not, they will need to get any of the following to qualify:
- Severe or enhanced disability premium
- Pensioner premium
- Child who is disabled
- Child under 5 living with you
Universal Credit claimants can usually receive the payments if they or their partner is unemployed or ‘gainfully self-employed’. They must also either have a health condition that limits their capability for work or a child under five living with them.
Finally, Support for Mortgage Interest recipients will only qualify for Cold Weather Payments if they have one of the following:
- Severe or enhanced disability premium
- Pensioner premium
- A child who is disabled
- A child under 5 living with you
Northern Ireland operates a distinct scheme that mirrors the one for England and Wales. From November 1, 2022, Social Security Scotland has launched the Winter Heating Payment, its substitute for the Cold Weather Payment, for eligible claimants residing in Scotland.