Cold weather payments checker reveals if you’ll get £25 free cash as temperatures set to drop this week

HOUSEHOLDS could be eligible for £25 cold weather payments as temperatures drop.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice across parts of the UK, with some in place until Wednesday.

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Cold weather payments are issued to hard-up households over the colder months[/caption]

Temperatures will start dropping today, lasting until the end of the week as households brace for a cold snap.

But the arrival of cold weather also means some hard-up households could be in line for free cash worth £25 and a handy tool can help you check.

Cold weather payments are issued to those on certain benefits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland when temperatures drop, or are forecast to drop, to zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.

You receive £25 for each seven-day period of cold weather between November and March.

That means if you live in an area where there are a series of seven-day periods of cold weather, you could receive more than £25.

For example, almost 500 postcodes got payments worth up to £75 last winter while over 250 got the same amount the year before.

Cold weather payments are, in virtually all cases, made automatically, meaning you don’t have to do anything to get the free money.

However, you can use a Government tool to find out if you’re due a payment.

You can visit www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment and then use the “check a postcode” tools for either England and Wales or Northern Ireland.

You’ll then be redirected to either the DWP’s website, if you live in England or Wales, or the NI Direct website if you live in NI.

Who is eligible for cold weather payments?

Households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for cold weather payments.

Households in Scotland aren’t but get a Winter Heating Payment instead. More information can be found at www.mygov.scot/winter-heating-payment.

You usually qualify for a cold weather payment once temperatures have dropped and if you’re on certain benefits. These are:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit

You can also get the payments if you receive support for mortgage interest.

However, depending on each benefit, there are other criteria you might have to fulfil to be eligible.

For example, if you’re on Universal Credit you will only qualify if you are unemployed or “gainfully self-employed”, or your partner is unemployed or “gainfully self-employed”.

You are considered gainfully self-employed if being self-employed is your main job, you work regularly and expect to make a profit.

One of the following must also apply:

• you or your partner have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)
• you have a child under five living with you

You are also eligible if you have a disabled child amount included in your Universal Credit claim.

There are also other eligibility criteria attached if you claim Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or get support for mortgage interest (SMI).

You can find all the details on the gov.uk website.

Bear in mind, if you have a baby or a child under five living with you, you will need to tell your local Jobcentre Plus if you get Income Support, JSA or ESA.

You won’t get automatic cold weather payments if you don’t.

When and how are payments made?

Payments are usually made within 14 working days, into the same bank or building society account you receive your benefits.

If you don’t receive a payment and think you should have, tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus.

The Pension Service helpline number is 0800 731 0469 and you can find your nearest Jobcentre via https://find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/.

If you’re on Universal Credit, you can log in to your account and add a note to your journal.

If you don’t have an online UC account, ring the UC helpline which you can find on any letters sent to you about your claim.

You should also tell the Pension Service or your local Jobcentre if you go into hospital as this can affect your eligibility for cold weather payments.

If you’re on Universal Credit, you can register a hospital stay on your online journal.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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