Cold Weather Payments kicked in on 1 November and mean that low-income households can get £25 from the Government during cold snaps.
Other payments that some demographics might be eligible for include the £150 Warm Home Discount and the Household Support Fund.
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 £25 payments will be paid automatically to households receiving certain benefits. These include Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest.
The money will appear on bank statements within 14 days of each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2024 and 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.
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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.
Winter Fuel Payment
Eligible pensioners can also receive up to £300 for the Winter Fuel Payment, which is set to land in bank accounts in the next two months.
Starting this winter, the payment is now restricted to pensioners receiving Pension Credit. Previously, it was paid to everyone of state pension age.
