The Department for Work and Pensions could be distributing free payments ranging from £25 to £75 for individuals on six different benefits. Those eligible for Cold Weather Payments include recipients of Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest.
These payments are issued between November and March each winter, providing additional funds to help cover the increased costs associated with cold weather, such as heating expenses. The payments are automatically made to those who qualify and will appear in bank statements within 14 days.
This comes as the UK braces for a three-day weather alert. Typically, you’ll receive Cold Weather Payments if you’re on Income Support or income-based JSA and meet any of the following criteria: having a disability or pensioner premium, having a disabled child, receiving Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element, or having a child under 5 living with you.
Similarly, if you’re on income-related ESA and are in a work-related activity group or support group, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments. If you’re not in either group, you might still qualify for Cold Weather Payments if you meet any of the aforementioned criteria.
You’re typically eligible for Cold Weather Payments if you’re on Universal Credit and either you or your partner are not employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’. Being ‘gainfully self-employed’ usually means that self-employment is your primary job, you work regularly, and expect to make a profit, reports Birmingham Live.
Additionally, one of the following must apply: you or your partner have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity), or you have a child under 5 living with you. Eligibility also extends to those who have a disabled child amount in their claim, regardless of employment status.
Similarly, if you receive Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) and are treated as getting a qualifying benefit where one of the following applies: a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, you have a disabled child, you get Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under 5 living with you, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments. You’re generally treated as getting a qualifying benefit if you apply for it but do not receive it because your income is too high.