10,000 Brits offered Cold Weather Payment - are you eligible?
13 January 2024, 17:43
Thousands of Brits are eligible to receive Cold Weather Payments, which include a range of benefits, amidst the freezing weather.
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has ordered the first Cold Weather Payments of the year - and 10,000 people will receive £25 towards their bills.
The payments are made to those living in England and Wales during freezing temperatures between November 1 and March 31.
Residents in Cumbria, Northumberland and those living around the Scottish Borders have experienced sub-zero temperatures, which has resulted in payments being made in 19 postcode areas.
The payments will be made for seven days, which started on January 12.
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The financial aid will be made to those living in England and Wales, who will be given a variety of benefits.
People claiming the aid may also be able to receive the Cold Weather Payment: Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest.
This does not mean that everyone on those benefits will be automatically given a Cold Weather Payment as there are several factors determining whether a payment will be made.
People will receive a payment if the average temperature in your area is zero degrees, or below, for 7 days in a row.
Receivers will be given £25 per seven-day period, with money being paid within 14 working days.
Around 10,000 people will be eligible for the payments in Shap in Cumbria, Redesdale in Northumberland and Eskdalemuir, which is in the Scottish borders
The full list of postcode areas which will receive a Cold Weather Payment for the period 12 January - 18 January 2024:
- CA10 Cliburn, Cumbria
- CA11 Catterlen, Cumbria
- CA12 Keswick, Cumbria
- CA16 Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
- CA17 Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
- LA8 Kendal, Cumbria
- LA9 Kendal, Cumbria
- LA10 Sedbergh, Cumbria
- LA21 Coniston, Cumbria
- LA22 Lakes, Cumbria
- LA23 Windermere, Cumbria
- CA9 Alston, Cumbria
- DH8 Burnhope, County Durham
- NE19 Elsdon, Northumberland
- NE47 Allendale, Northumberland
- NE48 Bellingham, Northumberland
- NE49 Haltwhistle, Northumberland
- DG14 Dumfries border (parts in England)
- TD9 Scottish Borders (parts in England)
Next week, vast areas of the UK are forecast to experience more freezing temperatures, meaning it is likely that other areas will also receive the payments in the next few days.
In the first two weeks of December, nearly 600,00 payments were handed out.
Since last winter, over 5.5 million Cold Weather payments were handed out by the DWP in 2023.
