The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has activated Cold Weather Payments in close to 250 postcode regions in England and Wales today. This action follows the issuance of various winter weather alerts by the Met Office for the upcoming week. More than half a million households are set to benefit from the payments, each receiving £25 to assist with heating expenses.

The newly activated payments cover 246 postcode areas, including locations such as Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and parts of Wales and Northern Ireland. Eligible households can access the full list of postcodes qualifying for the payments through an interactive map.

Cold Weather Payments are disbursed to individuals in England and Wales who are recipients of various benefits. While a similar program exists in Northern Ireland, Scotland offers support for heating bills on an annual basis, irrespective of cold weather periods.

As of now, £25 payments have been triggered for 697 postcode regions this winter, with 18 districts receiving two payments due to an extended cold spell. The current round of payments is expected to reach approximately 532,000 households, with Greater Manchester alone accounting for around 336,000 beneficiaries. The total cost of Cold Weather Payments activated today is estimated at £13.3 million.

In England and Wales, a payment is initiated when an area is forecasted to experience average temperatures below zero for seven consecutive days. Meteorologists are anticipating cold weather leading into the New Year, with subzero temperatures anticipated across many regions.

An estimated 3.9 million individuals are eligible for Cold Weather Payments under the DWP scheme, with 1.2 million of them receiving Pensions Credit. Those receiving benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support, JSA, ESA, Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest may qualify for the payments, but eligibility criteria apply.

Recipients will automatically receive a £25 payment in their bank accounts within 14 working days, identified by a payment reference including their National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’. No application is required for this assistance.