The first Cold Weather Payments for 2025 have been activated in 18 areas across England.
Eligible households on certain benefits will receive £25 from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) when temperatures fall in a scheme that runs through the chillier months from November to March. The payments are initiated once the temperature hits 0C or lower for seven days in a row.
With temperatures taking a dive since the beginning of the year, the UK is experiencing a bout of cold weather, anticipating snow in many areas over the weekend. Consequently, the first Cold Weather Payments of the year have been set in motion, benefitting 18 postcode districts in the north of England with a £25 boost.
Those in line for the payment reside in Cumbria, Northumberland, or near the Scottish border. A comprehensive list of the qualifying postcodes can be found below.
Recipients will see the payments deposited directly into their bank accounts, expected within 14 working days after the payments have been triggered, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The DWP said: “DWP’s Cold Weather Payments are an automatic bank top-up of £25, triggered to be paid to eligible households when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode.
“The £25 payments will be paid automatically to households receiving certain benefits including, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest.
“The money will appear in bank statements within 14 days of each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2024 and 31 March 2025, with the payment reference starting with the customer’s national Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’ for people in England and Wales.”
Full list of postcode areas getting a DWP Cold Weather Payment for January 2 to 9:
- Eskdalemuir: DG14, TD9
- Resdale: CA9, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49
- Shap: CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23
Further Cold Weather Payments are expected to be issued as temperatures continue to plummet. UK residents are advised to brace themselves for snowfall and treacherous ice this weekend as the cold spell persists.
Significant disruptions due to heavy snowfall and icy rain are anticipated as two amber weather warnings are set to take effect on Saturday. The Met Office has forecasted potential challenges including stranded vehicles, delays or cancellations in train and air services, and power outages as the country endures a week of harsh winter conditions.
Rostherne in Cheshire and Yeovilton in Somerset experienced a drop to -5C overnight into Friday, based on recent measurements. Meanwhile, the Met Office predicts that temperatures could plunge to -10C in some rural Scottish areas on Friday night.
The chilliest temperature noted in January of the previous year was -14C, recorded in Dalwhinnie in the Highlands.
Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here.
Get all the latest and breaking Huddersfield news straight to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here.