You may qualify for several payments through the DWP scheme
The DWP has been called upon to raise the payment amounts for a specific scheme. The programme is available to millions of benefit recipients, including those receiving Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
The Cold Weather Payments scheme provides £25 payments when temperatures in your area drop to, or are predicted to fall, below zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days. You could receive multiple £25 payments into your bank account through the scheme if the payments are activated in your specific location more than once during a five-month period.
The scheme operates from November 1 to March 31. People claiming these six benefits may be eligible for the payment into their bank account:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
Given the escalating cost of living, one question is whether the £25 sum should be raised. Matthew Sheeran, external relations manager at finance support organisation Money Wellness, cautioned that £25 “just doesn’t go very far anymore”.
He stated: “Energy bills are still high, and for many households, that amount barely scratches the surface of a week’s heating costs. Increasing it to around £40 or £50 would make a much more meaningful difference for people trying to keep their homes warm.” Increasing the payments to £40 would mean an extra £15 each time while boosting it to £50 would add another £25 to the payments.
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When are Cold Weather Payments issued?
Concerning when Cold Weather Payments land in accounts, details on the Government website state: “After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.”
For those residing in Scotland, the payments scheme has been superseded by the Winter Heating Payment, which has broadly the same eligibility criteria regarding which benefits you must claim. This is a one-off sum that’s distributed irrespective of weather conditions, and is valued at £59.75. Payments are issued between December and the end of February.
Sharp energy bills rise
One concerning recent development for bill payers is the climbing price of oil amid the Iran conflict. This has already dramatically pushed up the cost of heating oil.
Mr Sheeran described the sudden price surge as “really worrying”.He explained: “They’ve jumped massively in a very short space of time because of the conflict in the Middle East, with most quotes now more than double what they were just weeks ago. In some areas, a typical 500 litre delivery is hundreds of pounds more expensive than before.
He explained: “They’ve jumped massively in a very short space of time because of the conflict in the Middle East, with most quotes now more than double what they were just weeks ago. In some areas, a typical 500 litre delivery is hundreds of pounds more expensive than before.
“That’s a huge hit for the millions of households off the gas grid who rely on oil for heat and hot water. And they’re not protected by the energy price cap, so every crude oil spike feeds straight through to their bills.”
He offered some advice for those affected by this unexpected rise in expenses. The consumer guru advised: “If you’re in that position, it’s worth seeing if you can join a local oil buying group to get a better price, check whether you qualify for schemes like the Warm Home Discount or the Household Support Fund, and ask your supplier about spreading the cost. But this sudden squeeze really highlights how vulnerable off‐grid and rural households are when energy prices go up.”
