Cold weather payments – who is eligible for the £25 boost and how do I apply?

HARD-UP households tin get £25 towards the outgo of vigor bills during agelong periods of freezing weather.

The escaped cash, known arsenic the cold upwind payment, is issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Cold upwind payments are designed to assistance low-income households with their energy bills erstwhile temperatures plummet.

Eligible individuals person £25 for each seven-day agelong of debased temperatures, with these payments disposable until 31 March.

The currency is deposited straight into slope accounts wrong 14 days of a postcode being triggered.

The payments are made automatically, truthful there's nary request to apply.

You mightiness beryllium owed aggregate payouts if the acold weather continues beyond 7 days, too.

For example, astir 500 postcodes got payments worthy up to £75 last winter, while over 250 got the aforesaid magnitude the twelvemonth before.

You tin besides cheque if you are owed a acold upwind outgo successful the future by visiting coldweatherpayments.dwp.gov.uk.

Here's a afloat database of the archetypal 18 postcodes eligible for a azygous acold upwind outgo worthy £25 this winter:

• Carlisle: CA9-12, CA16-17
• Dumfries and Galloway: DG14
• Galashiels: TD9
• Lancaster: LA8-10, LA21-23
• Newcastle upon Tyne: NE19, NE47-NE49

Who is eligible for acold upwind payments?

Households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for acold upwind payments.

Households in Scotland aren't but get a Winter Heating Payment instead. More accusation tin beryllium recovered astatine www.mygov.scot/winter-heating-payment.

You usually suffice for a acold upwind outgo erstwhile temperatures person dropped and if you're connected certain benefits. These are:

• Pension credit
• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
• Income-related employment and enactment allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit

You tin besides get the payments if you person enactment for mortgage interest.

However, depending connected each benefit, determination are different criteria you mightiness person to fulfil to beryllium eligible.

For example, if you're on Universal Credit you volition lone suffice if you are unemployed oregon "gainfully self-employed", oregon your spouse is unemployed oregon "gainfully self-employed".

You are considered gainfully self-employed if you enactment regularly and expect to marque a profit.

One of the pursuing indispensable besides apply:

• You oregon your spouse person a health condition or disability and person constricted capableness for enactment (with oregon without work-related activity)
• You person a kid nether 5 surviving with you

You are besides eligible if you person a disabled kid magnitude included successful your Universal Credit claim.

There are besides different eligibility criteria attached if you assertion Income Support and income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA), income-related employment and enactment allowance (ESA) oregon get enactment for owe involvement (SMI).

If you person a babe oregon a kid nether 5 surviving with you, you volition request to archer your section Jobcentre Plus.

You'll besides request to fto them cognize if you get income support, JSA oregon ESA.

You won't get acold upwind payments automagically if you don't.

Find retired much by visiting gov.uk/cold-weather-payment.

When and however are payments made?

Payments are typically made wrong 14 moving days of your postcode being activated.

The currency is paid straight into the aforesaid slope oregon gathering nine relationship wherever you person your benefits.

Tell the Pension Service oregon Jobcentre Plus if you don't person a outgo and deliberation you should have.

Call the Pension Service helpline connected 0800 731 0469 oregon find your nearest Jobcentre by visiting find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/.

If you're connected Universal Credit, you tin log successful to your relationship and adhd a enactment to your journal.