The energy support scheme provides cash payments of £25 to people living in England and Wales when temperatures drop below zero degrees for seven consecutive days
The Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) Cold Weather Payment scheme will be starting again soon.
The energy support scheme provides cash payments of £25 to people living in England and Wales when temperatures drop below zero degrees for seven consecutive days. The scheme is not running right now but will be reintroduced this winter from November 1 and will run until the end of March of next year.
To be eligible for the money, households will need to be claiming one of several DWP benefits which includes things such as Pension Credit, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance or Universal Credit. However, it is not as simple as claiming. With Pension Credit, you will be eligible for the payment as long as you don’t live in a care home.
For Income Support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), you’ll only qualify if you have a disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, get Child Tax Credits that include a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under five living with you.
For income-related employment and support allowance, you’ll be eligible if you have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, get Child Tax Credits that include a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under five living with you. For those claiming Universal Credit, you can get the payment if you have a health condition or disability and have a “limited capability for work”, or you have a child under five living with you.
Finally, with support for mortgage interest (SMI), you’ll be eligible if you get it but also have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, or a child who is disabled. You can also be eligible if you get Child Tax Credits that include a disability or severe disability element, or if you have a child under five living with you.
If you’re eligible for a Cold Weather Payment, you’ll be paid automatically after each seven-day period of cold weather. You should receive your payment within 14 working days. You can check if you’re due the payment using the Government’s postcode checker.
If you’ve not got your cold weather payment when it is due, but think you’re eligible, you will need to contact your local Jobcentre Plus know. If you’re on Universal Credit, you can sign in to your online account and add a note to your journal, or give the Universal Credit helpline a call on 0800 328 5644.
It’s important to be aware that Scotland has scrapped the cold weather payment and replaced it with a new Winter Heating Payment. Unlike the cold weather payment, the Scottish payment does not depend on how cold the temperature gets. It’s a yearly payment of £59 that’s paid automatically to those who are eligible.
Eligibility is exactly the same as the cold weather payment scheme, but you’ll need to be receiving an eligible benefit during the ‘qualifying week’. For 2024/25, the qualifying week is between 4 and 10 November. The Scottish Government makes payments to eligible households throughout December and January.
