Britons could be able to access vital energy bill support this winter amid a period of extremely cold weather that has hit much of the UK in recent weeks. Hundreds of thousands of families could be eligible for free cash through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) via the Cold Weather Payment scheme.
Those entitled to a Cold Weather Payment usually receive £25, which goes towards paying their gas and electricity costs. However, in recent years, some households have received up to £75 from the DWP.
What is a Cold Weather Payment?
This is a Government scheme that provides a top-up benefit payment to low-income households to help pay their energy bills. The initiative runs from November 1 to March 31 every year.
Eligible households get £25 for every seven-day period their postcode experiences, or is forecast to experience, sub-zero temperatures. Temperatures need to be recorded at the postcode’s local weather station.
Earlier this month, the first Cold Weather Payments were triggered in Cumbria, Northumberland and the English side of the Scottish Borders. Some 160 postcodes have since had their payments triggered.
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Is your postcode eligible for a Cold Weather Payment?
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Who is eligible for the Cold Weather Payment?
This payment is reserved for eligible households living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Residents in Scotland can access alternative support, such as the Winter Heating Payment.
Claimants need to be receiving certain means-tested support from the DWP in order to qualify for this assistance. This is to ensure the money is going to low-income households.
Here is a full list of the qualifying DWP benefit payments:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit – although there are certain exceptions
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
Households need to be eligible for means-tested support from the DWP to qualify for the Cold Weather Payment
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How do I claim the Cold Weather Payment?
Anyone in receipt of the energy bill should automatically receive the support in the bank or building society account to which their benefits are delivered. No action should need to be taken.
The Cold Weather Payment is usually delivered within two weeks of the initial qualifying period of sub-zero cold weather. Cold Weather Payments do not affect entitlement to other benefit support.
However, there have been cases when someone who believes they are entitled to the £25 sum has not been paid. Households are urged to contact the Pension Service or local Jobcentre Plus if this is the case.
Households in 160 postcodes across the UK are, so far, eligible for Cold Weather Payments based on data taken in by the Charlwood, Andrewsfield, Brize Norton, Tibenham and Shap weather stations.
Here is a full list of the postcodes Cold Weather Payments have been triggered
Charlwood weather station
- BN5 – Henfield, West Sussex
- BN6 – Clayton, West Sussex
- BN44 – Steyning, West Sussex
- GU5 – Wonersh, Surrey
- GU6 – Cranleigh, Surrey
- ME6 – Snodland, Kent
- ME14 – Maidstone, Kent
- ME15 – Maidstone, Kent
- ME16 – Maidstone, Kent
- ME17 – Leeds, Kent
- ME18 – West Farleigh, Kent
- ME19 – West Malling, Kent
- ME20 – Ditton, Kent
- RH1 – Reigate and Banstead, Surrey
- RH2 – Reigate and Banstead, Surrey
- RH3 – Brockham, Surrey
- RH4 – Dorking, Surrey
- RH5 – Capel, Surrey
- RH6 – Horley, Surrey
- RH7 – Lingfield, Surrey
- RH8 – Limpsfield, Surrey
- RH9 – Godstone, Surrey
- RH10 – Crawley, West Sussex
- RH11 – Crawley, West Sussex
- RH12 – Horsham, West Sussex
- RH13 – Southwater, West Sussex
- RH14 – Wisborough Green, West Sussex
- RH15 – Burgess Hill, West Sussex
- RH16 – Haywards Heath, West Sussex
- RH17 – Cuckfield Rural, West Sussex
- RH18 – Forest Row, East Sussex
- RH19 – East Grinstead, West Sussex
- RH20 – Storrington, West Sussex
- TN1 – Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
- TN2 – Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
- TN3 – Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
- TN4 – Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
- TN5 – Wadhurst, East Sussex
- TN6 – Crowborough, East Sussex
- TN7 – Hartfield, East Sussex
- TN8 – Edenbridge, Kent
- TN9 – Tonbridge, Kent
- TN10 – Tonbridge, Kent
- TN11 – Tonbridge, Kent
- TN12 – Yalding, Kent
- TN13 – Sevenoaks, Kent
- TN14 – Dunton Green, Kent
- TN15 – Wrotham, Kent
- TN16 – Greater London
- TN17 – Cranbrook, Kent
- TN18 – Four Throws, Kent
- TN19 – Burwash, East Sussex
- TN20 – Mayfield, East Sussex
- TN22 – Uckfield, East Sussex
- TN27 – Smarden, Kent.
Andrewsfield weather station
- CB1 – Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire
- CB2 – Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire
- CB3 – Hardwick, Cambridgeshire
- CB4 – Impington, Cambridgeshire
- CB5 – Stow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire
- CB10 – Saffron Walden, Essex
- CB11 – Newport, Essex
- CB21 – Balsham, Cambridgeshire
- CB22 – Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire
- CB23 – Highfields, Cambridgeshire
- CB24 – Over, Cambridgeshire
- CB25 – Lode, Cambridgeshire
- CM1 – Chelmsford, Essex
- CM2 – Great Baddow, Essex
- CM3 – Danbury, Essex
- CM4 – Ingatestone, Essex
- CM5 – Ongar, Essex
- CM6 – Great Dunmow, Essex
- CM7 – Braintree, Essex
- CM8 – Witham, Essex
- CM9 – Heybridge, Essex
- CM11 – Essex
- CM12 – Billericay, Essex
- CM13 – Brentwood, Essex
- CM14 – Brentwood, Essex
- CM15 – Brentwood, Essex
- CM16 – Epping, Essex
- CM17 – Harlow, Essex
- CM18 – Harlow, Essex
- CM19 – Harlow, Essex
- CM20 – Harlow, Essex
- CM21 – Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire
- CM22 – Great Hallingbury, Essex
- CM23 – Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
- CM24 – Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
- CM77 – Braintree, Essex
- CO9 – Sible Hedingham, Essex
- RM4 – Stapleford Abbotts, Essex
- SG8 – Melbourn, Cambridgeshire
- SG9 – Buntingford, Hertfordshire
- SG10 – Much Hadham, Hertfordshire
- SG11 – Standon, Hertfordshire.
Very cold weather has sparked Cold Weather Payment triggers in parts of the UK GETTY
Brize Norton weather station
- OX1 – Oxford, Oxfordshire
- OX2 – Oxford, Oxfordshire
- OX3 – Oxford, Oxfordshire
- OX4 – Oxford, Oxfordshire
- OX5 – Kidlington, Oxfordshire
- OX11 – Didcot, Oxfordshire
- OX12 – Wantage, Oxfordshire
- OX13 – Marcham, Oxfordshire
- OX14 – Culham, Oxfordshire
- OX18 – Carterton, Oxfordshire
- OX20 – Woodstock, Oxfordshire
- OX25 – Chesterton, Oxfordshire
- OX26 – Bicester, Oxfordshire
- OX27 – Fringford, Oxfordshire
- OX28 – Witney, Oxfordshire
- OX29 – Eynsham, Oxfordshire
- SN7 – Shellingford, Oxfordshire.
- NR1 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR2 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR3 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR4 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR5 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR6 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR7 – Norwich, Norfolk
- NR8 – Taverham, Norfolk
- NR9 – Marlingford, Norfolk
- NR10 – Hevingham, Norfolk
- NR11 – Erpingham, Norfolk
- NR12 – Smallburgh, Norfolk
- NR13 – Blofield, Norfolk
- NR14 – Alpington, Norfolk
- NR15 – Hempnall, Norfolk
- NR16 – Old Buckenham, Norfolk
- NR17 – Attleborough, Norfolk
- NR18 – Wymondham, Norfolk
- NR19 – Scarning, Norfolk
- NR20 – Swanton Morley, Norfolk
- NR21 – Fakenham, Norfolk
- NR22 – Walsingham, Norfolk
- NR23 – Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
- NR24 – Briston, Norfolk
- NR25 – Holt, Norfolk
- NR26 – Sheringham, Norfolk
- NR27 – Cromer, Norfolk
- NR28 – North Walsham, Norfolk
- NR29 – Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
- NR30 – Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
- NR31 – Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
- NR32 – Oulton Broad, Suffolk
- NR33 – Oulton Broad, Suffolk
- NR34 – Weston, Suffolk
- NR35 – Bungay, Suffolk.
Shap weather station
- CA10 – Cliburn, Cumbria
- CA11 – Catterlen, Cumbria
- CA12 – Keswick, Cumbria
- CA16 – Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
- CA17 – Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
- LA8 – Kendal, Cumbria
- LA9 – Kendal, Cumbria
- LA10 – Sedbergh, Cumbria
- LA21 – Coniston, Cumbria
- LA22 – Lakes, Cumbria
- LA23 – Windermere, Cumbria.