The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has activated Cold Weather Payments in approximately 250 postcode areas across England and Wales today. This action follows the issuance of multiple winter weather warnings by the Met Office for the upcoming week. Eligible households, numbering over 500,000, will receive a payment of £25 to assist with heating costs.
The payments have been initiated in a total of 246 postcode areas, including regions such as Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and parts of Wales and Northern Ireland. The full list of postcodes receiving payments can be found on an interactive map.
Cold Weather Payments are part of a support scheme for individuals in England and Wales receiving various benefits. A similar program exists in Northern Ireland, while in Scotland, assistance for heating bills is provided annually regardless of specific cold weather periods.
As of now, 697 postcode areas have received £25 payments this winter, with 18 districts receiving two payments due to prolonged cold conditions lasting two weeks. The latest round of payments is expected to benefit approximately 532,000 households, with Greater Manchester accounting for around 336,000 of them. The total expenditure for the Cold Weather Payments triggered today is estimated at £13.3 million.
In England and Wales, a payment is activated when an area is forecasted to have temperatures below zero for seven consecutive days. Weather forecasts indicate a cold spell leading into the New Year, with subzero temperatures anticipated in many regions.
Around 3.9 million individuals are eligible for Cold Weather Payments under the DWP scheme, with 1.2 million of them receiving Pensions Credit. Those receiving benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support, JSA, ESA, Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest may qualify for the Cold Weather Payment, which is automatically deposited into recipients’ bank accounts within 14 working days.
The triggering of Cold Weather Payments is determined by various weather stations, including Rochdale, Rostherne, Hurn, Carlisle, Little Rissington, Keele, Llysdinam, Wittering, Shawbury, and in Northern Ireland by the Katesbridge weather station.