The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has activated its Cold Weather Payment scheme for residents across 21 counties in England, providing vital financial support during the recent freeze. The initiative is now estimated to benefit over 700,000 households spread across 697 individual postcode areas throughout the United Kingdom.
Which Areas Are Receiving The Payment?
The support has been triggered in a wide swathe of the country following a sustained period of low temperatures. The full list of English counties where payments are being issued includes: Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Yorkshire, Dorset, Greater Manchester, Durham, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and Shropshire.
In Northern Ireland, residents in the following postcode districts are also eligible: BT24, BT25, BT26, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, and BT34.
How Does The Cold Weather Payment Scheme Work?
This is a one-off payment of £25 designed to help with extra heating costs. It is triggered for each consecutive seven-day period where the average temperature in a specific area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below.
As the charity Age UK explains, the scheme relies on data from designated Met Office weather stations. "Cold Weather Payments are paid when there’s very cold weather in the area where you live," they state. "This is defined by the Met Office as being when the average temperature has been, or is expected to be, 0°C or below for 7 days in a row."
Eligibility is automatic for those receiving certain benefits, but you must be claiming one of the following:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
What Should Eligible Residents Do Next?
Payments are made automatically and should arrive within 14 working days after each qualifying cold weather period. There is no need to apply.
Age UK advises: "If you’re eligible for a Cold Weather Payment, you’ll be paid automatically after each 7 day period of cold weather. You should receive your payment within 14 working days."
Residents can check if their area has qualified using the official DWP cold weather payment postcode checker online. If you believe you should have received a payment but have not, the DWP recommends contacting your pension centre, Jobcentre Plus office, or the Universal Credit helpline if you are on that benefit.
This support comes as a critical intervention for vulnerable households facing heightened energy costs during the coldest months of the year.
