The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has activated Cold Weather Payments in nearly 250 postal code regions across England and Wales. This action coincides with the Met Office issuing various winter weather alerts for the upcoming week. Approximately 500,000 households are set to benefit from these payments, each receiving £25 to assist with heating expenses.
These new payments have been initiated in a total of 246 postal code areas, encompassing locations such as Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and sections of Wales and Northern Ireland. Eligible postcodes can be found on an interactive map provided.
Cold Weather Payments are disbursed to individuals in England and Wales who receive various benefits. While a similar program operates in Northern Ireland, in Scotland, support for heating bills is provided annually without being tied to specific cold weather periods.
Since the start of winter, 697 postal code areas, including 18 districts experiencing prolonged cold spells, have received £25 payments. The latest round of payments is estimated to reach 532,000 households, with Greater Manchester alone accounting for around 336,000 recipients. The total expenditure for today’s Cold Weather Payments is projected to be £13.3 million.
In England and Wales, a payment is activated when an area is forecasted to have subzero temperatures for seven consecutive days. Weather forecasters anticipate a cold spell leading into the New Year, with frigid conditions expected in many regions.
An estimated 3.9 million individuals are eligible for Cold Weather Payments under the DWP scheme, with 1.2 million receiving Pensions Credit. Beneficiaries of Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest may qualify for these payments.
Not all recipients of these benefits automatically receive Cold Weather Payments, as eligibility is subject to specific criteria outlined on the GOV.UK website. Payments of £25 are directly credited to recipients’ bank accounts within 14 working days, bearing a payment reference containing the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’.
Cold Weather Payments triggered by various weather stations have an estimated total of eligible households, including those from Rochdale, Rostherne, Hurn, Carlisle, Little Rissington, Keele, Llysdinam, Wittering, Shawbury, and Katesbridge in Northern Ireland.