HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits are due a £25 cash boost as freezing temperatures trigger special payouts.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that a bitter cold snap has officially unlocked the cash in 802 specific postcodes across the UK.
And for some lucky households, the payout has already doubled to £50.
The cold weather payment scheme is a lifeline designed to help smash rising heating bills when the mercury plummets.
It hands out £25 for every seven-day period where the temperature drops to zero degrees or below.
Crucially, the cash is paid automatically – but you need to know what to look for on your bank statement to make sure you’ve received what you’re owed.
With millions of transactions happening daily, it pays to check your banking app or statement to confirm receipt.
People in England and Wales should look for their National Insurance number followed by the code “DWP CWP” on their statement.
If you live in Northern Ireland, the payment will appear with the code “SSA CWP” instead.
Your National Insurance number is made up of two letters, six numbers, and a final letter, so a payment reference in England or Wales would look something like “QQ123456C DWP CWP” on your screen.
The scheme runs from now until March 31, meaning there is plenty of time for more payouts if the freeze continues.
There is no limit to how many payments you can receive, so if it freezes for another week, you get another £25.
Who is eligible for cold weather payments?
Households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for cold weather payments.
Households in Scotland aren’t but get a Winter Heating Payment instead. More information can be found at http://www.mygov.scot/winter-heating-payment.
You usually qualify for a cold weather payment once temperatures have dropped and if you’re on certain benefits. These are:
- Pension credit
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
You can also get the payments if you receive support for mortgage interest.
However, depending on each benefit, there are other criteria you might have to fulfil to be eligible.
For example, if you’re on Universal Credit you will only qualify if you are unemployed or “gainfully self-employed”, or your partner is unemployed or “gainfully self-employed”.
You are considered gainfully self-employed if you work regularly and expect to make a profit.
One of the following must also apply:
- You or your partner have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)
- You have a child under five living with you
You are also eligible if you have a disabled child amount included in your Universal Credit claim.
There are also other eligibility criteria attached if you claim Income Support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) or get support for mortgage interest (SMI).
If you have a baby or a child under five living with you, you will need to tell your local Jobcentre Plus.
You’ll also need to let them know if you get income support, JSA or ESA.
You won’t get cold weather payments automagically if you don’t.
Find out more by visiting gov.uk/cold-weather-payment.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
When and how are payments made?
Payments are typically made within 14 working days of your postcode being activated.
The cash is paid directly into the same bank or building society account where you receive your benefits.
Tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you don’t receive a payment and think you should have.
Call the Pension Service helpline on 0800 731 0469 or find your nearest Jobcentre by visiting find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/.
If you’re on Universal Credit, you can log in to your account and add a note to your journal.
What energy bill help is available?
There’s a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
