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How to find out if you're eligible for a cold weather payment

James Cheng-Morris and James Hockaday
Updated ·5-min read
People walking in the snow in Keswick in Cumbria. Much of Britain is facing another day of cold temperatures and travel disruption after overnight lows dropped below freezing for the bulk of the country. A
People walking in the snow in Keswick in Cumbria on Tuesday. (PA)

As much of the UK endures freezing cold temperatures and snow, thousands of households may be able to claim cold weather payments.

People on the lowest incomes in affected postcode districts will receive a £25 payment from the government. The payment process is triggered when the average temperature in an area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0C or less for seven consecutive days.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for ice and snow across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales between Monday and Thursday this week, with temperatures plummeting below freezing overnight.

A “cold plunge of Arctic air” has moved south across the UK over the past few days, making temperatures 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year, the Met Office said.

Watch: Snow and freezing temperatures as UK is gripped by Arctic blast

Pensions minister Paul Maynard said: “Cold weather payments provide much needed support to households when colder weather kicks in, so that families reduce anxiety about bills."

Yahoo News UK sets out who can currently receive the £25 payment.

How to find out if you're eligible for a cold weather payment

First, people in England and Wales are eligible if they claim certain benefits, including pension credit; income support; income-based jobseeker’s allowance; income-related employment and support allowance; universal credit; or support for mortgage interest.

They don’t need to apply as the money is automatically paid into the same account in which they receive their benefits. The government says this payment should be made within 14 days following the seven-day period of freezing weather.

Read more: Why is Britain so prone to flooding and is climate change to blame?

Second, the payments only apply to certain postcodes which have suffered the freezing weather. This can be verified on the government’s cold weather payment postcode checker.

Click on the image over to find out if you qualify.
Click on the image over to find out if you qualify.

The scheme has been available for each seven-day period of freezing weather since 1 November, and runs until 31 March this year.

In Scotland, a different scheme, called the winter heating payment, is used. It means a £55.05 payment is given to anyone who claims the benefits listed above, but regardless of the weather conditions where they live.

The majority of payments are expected to be made by the end of January this year. As with the scheme in England and Wales, people do not need to apply as the payments will be made automatically.

Areas eligible for cold weather payments so far

According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), these are the areas where cold weather payments have been triggered so far this winter.

27 November

  • Shap - CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23

28 November

  • Albemarle - DH1, DH2, DH3, DH4, DH5, DH6, DH7, DH9, DL4, DL5, DL14, DL15, DL16, DL17, NE1, NE2, NE3, NE4, NE5, NE6, NE7, NE8, NE9, NE10, NE11, NE12, NE13, NE15, NE16, NE17, NE18, NE20, NE21, NE23, NE25, NE26, NE27, NE28, NE29, NE30, NE31, NE32, NE33, NE34, NE35, NE36, NE37, NE38, NE39, NE40, NE41, NE42, NE43, NE44, NE45, NE46, SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5, SR6, SR7, TS21, TS28, TS29

  • Bainbridge - BD23, BD24, DL8, DL11, DL12, DL13

  • Bingley - BB4, BB8, BB9, BB10, BB11, BB12, BB18, BD1, BD2, BD3, BD4, BD5, BD6, BD7, BD8, BD9, BD10, BD11, BD12, BD13, BD14, BD15, BD16, BD17, BD18, BD19, BD20, BD21, BD22, HD3, HD7, HD8, HD9, HX1, HX2, HX3, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX7, LS21, LS29, OL13, OL14, S36

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

  • Fylingdales - YO13, YO18, YO21, YO22, YO62

  • Redesdale - CA9, DH8, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49

  • 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

  • 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, SK10, SK11, 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

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

People walking in snowy conditions in Crow Park at Derwent Water in Keswick, Cumbria. Much of Britain is facing another day of cold temperatures and travel disruption after overnight lows dropped below freezing for the bulk of the country. A
People walking in snowy conditions in Crow Park at Derwent Water in Keswick, Cumbria. (PA)

5 December

  • Charterhall - NE71, TD9, TD12, TD15

  • Leek Thorncliffe - DE4, DE45, S32, S33, SK13, SK17, SK22, SK23, ST9, ST10, ST13

8 December

  • Shap - CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23

12 January

  • Redesdale - CA9, DH8, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49

  • Shap - CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23

A snowman in Sefton Park, Liverpool. Much of Britain is facing another day of cold temperatures and travel disruption after overnight lows dropped below freezing for the bulk of the country. A
A snowman in Sefton Park, Liverpool. (PA)

13 January

  • Albemarle - DH1, DH2, DH3, DH4, DH5, DH6, DH7, DH9, DL4, DL5, DL14, DL15, DL16, DL17, NE1, NE2, NE3, NE4, NE5, NE6, NE7, NE8, NE9, NE10, NE11, NE12, NE13, NE15, NE16, NE17, NE18, NE20, NE21, NE23, NE25, NE26, NE27, NE28, NE29, NE30, NE31, NE32, NE33, NE34, NE35, NE36, NE37, NE38, NE39, NE40, NE41, NE42, NE43, NE44, NE45, NE46, SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5, SR6, SR7, TS21, TS28, TS29

  • Bainbridge - BD23, BD24, DL8, DL11, DL12, DL13

  • 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

  • Bingley - BB4, BB8, BB9, BB10, BB11, BB12, BB18, BD1, BD2, BD3, BD4, BD5, BD6, BD7, BD8, BD9, BD10, BD11, BD12, BD13, BD14, BD15, BD16, BD17, BD18, BD19, BD20, BD21, BD22, HD3, HD7, HD8, HD9, HX1, HX2, HX3, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX7, LS21, LS29, OL13, OL14, S36

  • Charterhall - NE71, TD12, TD15

  • Fylingdales - YO13, YO18, YO21, YO22, YO62

  • Leek Thorncliffe - DE4, DE45, S32, S33, SK13, SK17, SK22, SK23, ST9, ST10, ST13

  • Libanus - CF37, CF38, CF39, CF40, CF41, CF42, CF43, CF44, CF45, CF46, CF47, CF48, CF81, CF82, CF83, LD3, NP4, NP11, NP12, NP13, NP22, NP23, NP24, NP44, SA9

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