Following heavy snowfall in the North West of England over the weekend, a flurry is set to hit London and amber weather warnings are in place from the Met Office for the South West of England.
Amber weather warnings indicate “the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.”
The continued drop in temperature means eligible households could be set to receive a £25 cash boost from the Government under the Cold Weather Payment scheme.
Since 2019, financial support has been available for low-income households during times of particularly cold weather, and this winter, it has run from 1 November until 31 March 2025.
While the means-tested Winter Fuel Payments for 2024 were allocated in November and December, there are still three ways to contribute to your energy bills and living costs as the freezing temperatures arrive in the UK.
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Other payments that some demographics might be eligible for include the £150 Warm Home Discount and the Household Support Fund.
Here is a breakdown of who can claim the funds:
Cold Weather Payments
The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP’s) Cold Weather Payments are an automatic bank top-up of £25. The payment is triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as or is forecast to be zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
The payments will be paid automatically to households receiving certain benefits. These include Pension Credit, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Support for Mortgage Interest and Universal Credit.
The money will appear on bank statements within 14 days of each seven-day period of freezing weather, and the scheme began on 1 November 2024 and runs until 31 March 2025. The payment reference will start with the customer’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’ for people in England and Wales.
You can check if your area has been cold enough for the required time using the Government’s postcode checker for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Household Support Fund
Struggling households can receive further help with their bills and essential costs through the extension of the Household Support Fund.
An additional £1bn has been invested to extend this support by a full year and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales.
Anyone struggling to heat their homes or afford other essential items over the colder months should contact their local council to see if they can access the fund.
Many councils also use the fund beyond emergency support, including working with local charities and community groups to provide residents with key appliances, school uniforms, cookery classes, and items to improve energy efficiency in the home.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a one-off £150 discount applied to your electricity bill. If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.
To be eligible for the payment in England or Wales, you need to either get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or be on a low income and have high energy costs.
If you live in Scotland, you qualify if you either get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme.
You’ll usually get the discount automatically if you’re eligible. You only need to apply via your energy supplier if you’re on a low income in Scotland.
If you think you’re eligible, you should first wait to see if you receive a letter, which will usually arrive between October and January.
If you don’t receive a letter by early January, check your energy account to see whether you have received the rebate automatically, and if not, you should contact the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322.
