The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is handing out a bonus payment for people on SIX benefits in the wake of the Cost of Living crisis. Amid brutally cold weather up and down the UK, the DWP has triggered £25 Cold Weather Payments for 51 postcodes.
95,000 eligible households in these regions will receive a £25 payment towards the extra cost of heating their homes during the current cold snap. The DWP says those claiming the following benefits may be eligible for the Cold Weather Payment.
It includes Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, Support for Mortgage Interest. But the payment isn’t automatic for these claimants.
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Instead, there are a number of factors which will determine whether a payment will be made. With Pension Credit, you will be eligible for the payment as long as you don’t live in a care home. For Income Support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), you’ll only qualify if you have a disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, get Child Tax Credits that include a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under five living with you.
For income-related employment and support allowance, you’ll be eligible if you have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, get Child Tax Credits that include a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under five living with you.
For those claiming Universal Credit, you can get the payment if you have a health condition or disability and have a “limited capability for work”, or you have a child under five living with you. Finally, with support for mortgage interest (SMI), you’ll be eligible if you get it but also have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, or a child who is disabled.
You can also be eligible if you get Child Tax Credits that include a disability or severe disability element, or if you have a child under five living with you.