Thousands of households are getting up to £50 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after Cold Weather Payments were triggered.
Cold Weather Payments are awarded when the average temperature where you live hits zero degrees or below over seven consecutive days. You have to be on a low income and receiving certain benefits to get a payment. Each one of these Cold Weather Payments are worth £25 per seven day period – but you can receive multiple awards if you get several periods of freezing weather.
Two payments have been triggered in 18 postcode districts, totalling £50, while eight more postcodes in Northern Ireland are set to receive one payment, worth £25. Last winter, almost 500 postcodes got payments worth up to £75.
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You can check if you are due a payment in your area by looking up your postcode. If you’ve not received a Cold Weather Payment and you think you’re eligible, contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus. Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland anymore – but you might be entitled to an annual £50 Winter Heating Payment instead. Here are the current postcodes where Cold Weather Payments have been awarded:
- CA9
- CA10
- CA11
- CA12
- CA16
- CA17
- DG14
- TD9
- LA8
- LA9
- LA10
- LA21
- LA22
- LA23
- NE19
- NE47
- NE48
- NE49
- BT24
- BT25
- BT26
- BT30
- BT31
- BT32
- BT33
- BT34
The money is normally paid into your bank account automatically within 14 working days – although there are some cases where you may need to apply. You could be entitled to a Cold Weather Payment if you’re getting one of the following benefits.
-
Pension Credit
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Income Support (if you have any of the following: disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)
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Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (if you have any of the following: disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)
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Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (if you have any of the following: severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)
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Universal Credit (if you’re not employed or “gainfully” self-employed, your partner is not employed or “gainfully” self-employed – you or your must also have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work, or have a child under five living with you)
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Support for Mortgage Interest (if you have any of the following: severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)
If you claim Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, you will need to contact Jobcentre Plus to get a Cold Weather Payment if:
- You’ve had a baby
- A child under five has come to live with you
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