The winter months can be an expensive time for many households. With the temperature plummet, many of us reach for the thermostat and turn up to keep warm, making our energy bills rise.
But help is at hand for households who are on low income and struggle with low energy bills. A special payment worth £25 could be issued to thousands of households in the UK ahead of the forecasted wintry weather.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) issues Cold Weather Payments during periods of cold weather. These payments are issued when the average temperature in a household’s area is recorded as – or forecasted to be – 0C or below for seven consecutive days.
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With snow forecasted for a number of days starting on Saturday, it could see Cold Weather Payments issued due to the January cold snap. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather alert spanning three days, starting at 12pm on Saturday, January 4.
The alert will remain in place until Monday, January 6, at 9am. However more snow has been forecasted on Tuesday, with a large mass of snow set to blanket many parts of England.
The Met Office has predicted colder conditions for the start of the year. The forecaster said the unsettled period from New Year will “yield to colder conditions” where there will be air from the “north flowing across the UK”.
Households must be eligible in order to receive Cold Weather Payments. That includes households on benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit. Find out more here.
A £25 payment will be made for every period of very cold weather between November 1 and March 31. Households have been advised they do not need to apply for Cold Weather Payments as they’ll be paid automatically if eligible.