In response to this week’s cold snap, certain households in England will receive a one-off £25 payment to assist with energy costs. The UK has seen temperatures drop below zero since the start of the new year, with heavy snowfall in some areas – but despite London temperatures skating just above zero, it doesn’t look like Londoners will be getting their hands on the payments just yet.
Households claiming specific benefits are given additional funds during periods of cold weather to help cover heating bills. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) runs its Cold Weather Payment scheme annually from November to March.
When the temperature falls below 0C for seven consecutive days, people in affected postcodes will receive a one-off £25 payment. To qualify, households must be claiming a benefit such as Pension Credit, Income Support or Universal Credit.
The temperature needs to be below zero for seven days in a row to qualify for the payment
(Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
The first Cold Weather Payments of the year have been triggered following recent temperature drops in the north of England. These payments are activated if temperatures are recorded or predicted to be 0C or below for an entire week.
According to the DWP, 18 postcode areas in England are due payments for the period January 2 to January 9. Cold Weather Payments were previously triggered in mid-November, reports the Manchester Evening News.
To find out if your postcode is due a payment, you can use the DWP’s postcode checker on the gov.uk website here.
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