Jump directly to the content

THOUSANDS of households are set to receive £25 in free cash after new Cold Weather Payments were triggered.

More than 560 postcodes are in line for payments following the recent cold snap.

The payments are made for each seven-day period where temperatures fall to zero degrees Celsius or below.

But you have to be on certain benefits to qualify for the free cash which is designed to cover the extra costs of fuel over the winter.

Eligible households receive £25 for each seven-day cold snap, with the payments available until March 31.

Payments are made within 14 working days of each bout of chilly weather, into the same bank account you receive your qualifying benefit.

Read more on Money

Payments are made automatically so you don't need to apply.

Since Saturday, payments have been triggered in Carlisle, Rochdale and Keele, as well as Bramham, Coleshill and Stowe.

Here is the list of postcodes where payments have been triggered since Saturday, January 11:

January 11

Carlisle

  • CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, CA8, DG16

Keele

  • CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW12, SK10, SK11, ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7, ST12, ST14, ST15, ST16, ST17, ST18, ST19, ST20, ST21

Leeming

  • DL1, DL2, DL3, DL6, DL7, DL9, DL10, TS9, TS15, TS16, YO7

Llysdinam

LD1, LD2, LD4, LD5, LD6, LD7, LD8, SA19, SA20, SY7, SY9, SY18

Rostherne

  • CW4, CW6, CW7, CW8, CW9, CW10, CW11, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M17, M18, M19, M20, M21, M22, M23, M25, M27, M28, M29, M30, M31, M32, M33, M34, M35, M38, M40, M41, M43, M44, M45, M46, M50, M90, PR7, SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8, SK9, SK12, SK14, SK16, WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4, WA5, WA6, WA7, WA8, WA9, WA10, WA11, WA12, WA13, WA14, WA15, WA16, WN1, WN2, WN3, WN4, WN5, WN6, WN7, WN8

January 12

Rochdale

  • BL0, BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL6, BL7, BL8, BL9, M24, M26, OL1, OL2, OL3, OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7, OL8, OL9, OL10, OL11, OL12, OL15, OL16, SK15

Shawbury

  • SY1, SY2, SY3, SY4, SY5, SY6, SY11, SY12, SY13, TF1, TF2, TF3, TF4, TF5, TF6, TF7, TF8, TF9, TF10, TF11, TF12, TF13

Stonyhurst

  • BB1, BB2, BB3, BB5, BB6, BB7, FY8, LA2, LA6, LA7, PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4, PR5, PR6, PR25, PR26

January 13

Benson

  • HP5, HP6, HP7, HP8, HP9, HP10, HP11, HP12, HP13, HP14, HP15, HP16, HP17, HP18, HP19, HP20, HP21, HP22, HP23, HP27, OX9, OX10, OX33, OX39, OX44, OX49, RG9, SL7, SL8, SL9

Bramham

  • HG1, HG2, HG3, HG4, HG5, LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, LS5, LS6, LS7, LS8, LS9, LS10, LS11, LS12, LS13, LS14, LS15, LS16, LS17, LS18, LS19, LS20, LS22, LS23, LS24, LS25, LS26, LS27, LS28, YO1, YO8, YO10, YO19, YO23, YO24, YO26, YO30, YO31, YO32, YO41, YO42, YO43, YO51, YO60, YO61

Coleshill

  • B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B10, B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17, B18, B19, B20, B21, B23, B24, B25, B26, B27, B28, B29, B30, B31, B32, B33, B34, B35, B36, B37, B38, B40, B42, B43, B44, B45, B46, B47, B48, B49, B50, B60, B61, B62, B63, B64, B65, B66, B67, B68, B69, B70, B71, B72, B73, B74, B75, B76, B77, B78, B79, B80, B90, B91, B92, B93, B94, B95, B96, B97, B98, CV1, CV2, CV3, CV4, CV5, CV6, CV7, CV8, CV9, CV10, CV11, CV12, CV21, CV22, CV23, CV31, CV32, CV33, CV34, CV35, CV37, CV47, DY1, DY2, DY3, DY4, DY5, DY6, DY7, DY8, DY9, DY10, DY11, DY12, DY13, DY14, LE10, WS1, WS2, WS3, WS4, WS5, WS6, WS7, WS8, WS9, WS10, WS11, WS12, WS13, WS14, WS15, WV1, WV2, WV3, WV4, WV5, WV6, WV7, WV8, WV9, WV10, WV11, WV12, WV13, WV14, WV15, WV16

Little Rissington

  • CV36, GL54, GL55, GL56, OX7, OX15, OX16, OX17, WR12

Marham

  • CB6, CB7, IP24, IP25, IP26, IP27, IP28, PE12, PE13, PE14, PE30, PE31, PE32, PE33, PE34, PE35, PE36, PE37, PE38

Stowe

  • MK18, NN1, NN2, NN3, NN4, NN5, NN6, NN7, NN11, NN12, NN13

Wittering

  • LE15, NN14, NN15, NN16, NN17, NN18, PE1, PE2, PE3, PE4, PE5, PE6, PE7, PE8, PE9, PE15, PE16, PE17, PE26, PE27, PE28, PE29

Woburn

  • MK1, MK2, MK3, MK4, MK5, MK6, MK7, MK8, MK9, MK10, MK11, MK12, MK13, MK14, MK15, MK16, MK17, MK19, MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45, MK46, NN8, NN9, NN10, NN29, PE19, SG5, SG6, SG7, SG15, SG16, SG17, SG18, SG19

Who is eligible for Cold Weather Payments?

Cold Weather Payments are made between November 1 and March 31 each winter - a four month window when temperatures are usually coldest across the year.

You’re eligible for a Cold Weather Payment if you live in EnglandWales, or Northern Ireland and are in receipt of one of the following benefits:

How to cut energy costs and get help with FOUR key household bills

Depending on your specific circumstances, you may also need to meet one or more of the following additional criteria:

  • Have a disability or be in receipt of pension premium
  • Have a child who is disabled
  • Be in receipt of child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
  • Have a severe or enhanced disability premium
  • Be in receipt of a limited capability for work amount
  • Have a child under five living with you

You can find out more about eligibility on the government's website.

It's worth bearing in mind, because payments are made for each seven day period of cold weather, you can sometimes qualify for £50 or even £75 payments, if temperatures stay low for long enough.

Households in Scotland aren't eligible for Cold Weather Payments but get a Winter Heating Payment instead.

You can find out more via www.mygov.scot/winter-heating-payment.

How to apply

Cold Weather Payments are issued automatically if you're eligible, so you just have to sit tight and wait.

Payments show up in your bank statement as your National Insurance number followed by "DWP CWP" for those in England and Wales.

If you live in Northern Ireland it will appear as "SSA CWP".

Contact the , , or the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 if you are expecting a payment and don't receive one.

If you’re getting Universal Credit, you can also sign in to your account and add a note to your journal.

If you go into hospital, this could affect your claim so make sure you tell someone using the contact details above.

Other help available

You may be eligible for the Household Support Fund, which has been extended until the end of March this year.

Cash payments, energy and food vouchers and other help are distributed by local councils who set their own eligibility criteria.

That means whether you qualify for help depends on where you live although mostly help is given to low-income households or those on benefits.

Speak to your local council and check if you qualify for any support.

You might also be able to get a grant from your energy firm if you've fallen behind on your bills.

British Gas and Octopus Energy both have schemes that offer to pay you grants you don't have to pay back.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

Check if you qualify for benefits too - billions of pounds' worth is going unclaimed, according to Policy in Practice.

It said £23billion went unclaimed in the 2023/24 financial year, with £8.3billion worth of Universal Credit not claimed for.

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 works out what you could get.

Entitledto's 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 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.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Plus, you can join our Facebook group to share your tips and stories

Topics