Hundreds of thousands of people eligible for cold weather payment – check if your postcode is covered
By Jess Sharp, money live reporter
It’s been freezing over the past few days and a government scheme means hundreds of thousands of people are entitled to a £25 payment.
The cold weather payments scheme is available across England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not Scotland.
Eligible households are paid £25 for each seven-day period when average temperatures in the local area are below 0C or forecast to be.
Some areas, such as Alston and Penrith in Cumbria, have suffered two weeks of freezing temperatures, meaning residents will get £50.
The payments have been triggered in more than 450 postcodes so far – search in our table below to see if your area is one of them…
Who can get the help?
Pensioners on low incomes and receiving pension credit are eligible for the payment.
People receiving universal credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, and support for mortgage interest may also be entitled to the help.
Payments are made automatically into your bank account within 14 working days.
It will appear with a payment reference including your National Insurance number, followed by ‘DWP CWP’.
The scheme is available until 31 March.
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