People on six different benefits may qualify for the payments
Benefit recipients have been alerted to a looming deadline concerning a DWP payment scheme. You may be eligible for these payments if you receive one of various benefits, including Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is still running, providing £25 payments when temperatures in your area are, or are predicted to be, below zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days. You could receive multiple £25 payments through the scheme should the payments be activated in your locality more than once during a five-month window.
People claiming these six benefits may be entitled to the payment into their bank account:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
The scheme concludes very soon, as it operates from November 1 to March 31. Matthew Sheeran, external relations manager at financial support organisation Money Wellness, discussed whether the payments might be activated during the remainder of the month.
He said: “We might see a bit of a cold snap this week with frost and some wintry showers, especially up north and in rural areas, but the forecasters aren’t pointing to temperatures staying below freezing for seven days straight – and that’s what you need to actually trigger a Cold Weather Payment before the end of March.
“So while it’ll feel cold, it’s not likely we’ll see a big wave of new £25 payments being triggered right now.” You can check if a Cold Weather Payment has been activated in your region on the Government website.
When do Cold Weather Payments land in bank accounts?
As for when payments land in accounts, Government advice clarifies: “After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.”
However, the regulations differ if you reside in Scotland. Here, the scheme has been superseded by the Winter Heating Payment, with largely the same eligibility criteria regarding which benefits you need to claim.
This is a one-time payment that is issued regardless of the weather and is valued at £59.75. These payments go out between December and the end of February.
If you were entitled to receive a payment, Social Security Scotland would have sent you a letter or email notifying you of the impending amount.
