Pensioners in parts of the UK have noticed special bonus payments from the DWP arriving in their bank accounts. The cash boost is worth an extra £25.
The reason for the special payments is because of the freezing cold weather the UK is currently experiencing. They are known as Cold Weather Payments and issued during prolonged cold spells.
And with temperatures plummeting below freezing between now and the weekend, more support is being offered to low-income pensioners in worst-hit areas to help them keep their heating on. The cash is designed to help some of the poorest households pay for their gas and electricity as they will need to keep their heating on for longer.
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Authorities also want to ensure vulnerable people aren’t keeping the heating off because of money worries. However, not all areas are getting the payments. It is only where the weather is coldest over a prolonged period.
Along with older people on Pension Credit, households who get benefits including Universal Credit and Income Support will also be eligible. Payments are made locally depending on weather station recordings, rather than across the country as a whole.
Areas confirmed to be getting money include parts of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Northumberland and Cumbria. The latest payments were triggered by a seven-day period of sub-zero temperatures in these areas which started on January 4 and extends until Saturday.
People can check if their postcode is among those confirmed for payments here. There are an estimated 3.9 million people eligible for Cold Weather Payments under the DWP scheme and of these 1.2 million are in receipt of Pensions Credit.