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Mild winter prompts fall in Cold Weather Payments

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The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has today released its latest figures on Cold Weather Payments. A total of £3.4 million was paid to 133,000 eligible recipients of Cold Weather Payments between 1 November and 5 February. The statistics reveal a large reduction in people eligible for additional support which saw £10 million paid last year over the same period.

Cold Weather Payments help people to meet their additional heating costs during periods of extreme cold.

A payment is made automatically when the average temperature at the weather station linked to an eligible customer’s postcode has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

Key figures

  • There were 119,000 recipients in Scotland, 15,000 in England and none in Wales
  • 64,000 recipients also receiving of Pension Credit received a total of £1.7 million
  • Almost 90% of the payments were made to recipients in Scotland, reflecting the extreme cold weather there.

All the payments were made in January and reflect the cold weather experienced in parts of the UK. Some regions in the North of England and Scotland experienced temperatures as low as minus 15. According to weather experts, this winter has been relatively mild but a sharp turnaround last month led to far colder conditions which lasted for a few weeks in certain areas of the UK.

Payments are made to those most vulnerable to the cold, such as older people receiving Pension Credit, disabled adults and children, and families with children under five who are receiving an income-related benefit.

Turn2us help

Our website has information on Cold Weather Payments you may find useful.

We also have an Energy Schemes information section which gives details of grants that may be available to help you with the cost of energy.

You can use our Benefits Calculator to check your entitlement to welfare benefits and our Grants Search to see if you are eligible for help from a charitable fund, based on your personal background, circumstances and needs.

Source: Department of Work and Pension publication: Statistics on Cold Weather Payments