What is the Cold Weather Payment and are you eligible?
4 January 2025, 12:25 | Updated: 4 January 2025, 12:26
Brits in some parts of the UK are being offered extra help to cover their rising energy bills as the temperatures plummet. Here is everything you need to know about the government payment.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
What is the cold-weather payment?
The cold-weather payment is a government benefit top-up from the Department of Work and Pensions to help with energy bills as temperatures drop.
The average temperature in a local area needs to be zero degrees Celsius or under for at least seven days in a row.
It can also be forecast to be below freezing for seven days running for residents to be eligible.
The £25 payments are being made to those living in England and Wales between November 1 and March 31.
Which Brits are eligible?
The payment will only be available to people who receive certain benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest.
Money should be received within 14 days of each seven-day period of very cold weather.
Which areas will receive the payment?
Payments have already been offered for dozens of postcode areas across Cumbria, Northumberland and areas in England close to the Scottish border.
Postcodes across Eskdalemuir in Scotland are also being offered the payment. A full list of eligible postcodes can be found here.
Why now?
This comes as temperatures are expected to drop as low as -10C in some areas over the weekend.
Large parts of the UK are set to be hit by heavy snow and freezing rain this weekend, with two amber weather warnings in place.
Power cuts are expected across the country, with stranded vehicles, train and air delays also likely.Rural communities risk being “cut off” due to extreme weather with up to 30cm of snowfall expected in some areas, the Met Office warned.
Freezing rain, which occurs when rain instantly freezes upon hitting the ground, could cause "treacherous conditions in places" as temperatures plummet to -10C.
