The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has triggered Cold Weather Payments in 697 postcodes across the UK, offering vital financial support to those most vulnerable to the freezing temperatures. With much of the country enduring a prolonged cold snap, the £25 payments aim to help households manage the increased cost of heating.
The Cold Weather Payment scheme has been running since November and has now reached over a million households. Payments are activated when temperatures fall to zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days, providing a safety net for families struggling to meet their heating costs. These payments are automatically made to people receiving specific benefits, without the need for an application.
How the Cold Weather Payments Work
Cold Weather Payments are made to eligible households automatically when a cold weather threshold is met in a particular area. According to the DWP, the scheme is triggered when the temperature is forecast to remain below freezing for seven days in a row. This winter, 697 postcodes have been activated, with a significant number of households in areas like Greater Manchester, Cumbria, and Staffordshire set to receive support:
December 30: CA9, CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, DG14, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49, TD9.
January 1: AL1, AL2, AL3, AL4, AL5, AL6, AL7, AL8, AL9, AL10, 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, BN5, BN6, BN44, CB8, CB9, CO1, CO2, CO3, CO4, CO5, CO6, CO7, CO8, CO10, CO11, CO12, CO13, CO14, CO15, CO16, DE4, DE6, DE45, EN6, GU5, GU6, HD3, HD7, HD8, HD9, HP1, HP2, HP3, HP4, HP5, HP6, HP7, HP8, HP9, HP10, HP11, HP12, HP13, HP14, HP15, HP16, HP17, HP18, HP19, HP20, HP21, HP22, HP23, HP27, HX1, HX2, HX3, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX7, IP1, IP2, IP3, IP4, IP5, IP6, IP7, IP8, IP9, IP10, IP11, IP12, IP13, IP14, IP15, IP16, IP17, IP18, IP19, IP20, IP21, IP22, IP23, IP29, IP30, IP31, IP32, IP33, LS21, LS29, LU1, LU2, LU3, LU4, LU5, LU6, LU7, ME6, ME14, ME15, ME16, ME17, ME18, ME19, ME20, OL13, OL14, OX9, OX10, OX33, OX39, OX44, OX49, RG9, RH1, RH2, RH3, RH4, RH5, RH6, RH7, RH8, RH9, RH10, RH11, RH12, RH13, RH14, RH15, RH16, RH17, RH18, RH19, RH20, S32, S33, S36, SG1, SG2, SG3, SG4, SG12, SG13, SG14, SK13, SK17, SK22, SK23, SL7, SL8, SL9, ST8, ST9, ST10, ST11, ST13, TN1, TN2, TN3, TN4, TN5, TN6, TN7, TN8, TN9, TN10, TN11, TN12, TN13, TN14, TN15, TN16, TN17, TN18, TN19, TN20, TN22, TN27, WD3, WD4, WD5, WD6, WD7, WD17, WD18, WD19, WD23, WD24, WD25 January 2 BD23, BD24, CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB6, CB7, CB10, CB11, CB21, CB22, CB23, CB24, CB25, CF37, CF38, CF39, CF40, CF41, CF42, CF43, CF44, CF45, CF46, CF47, CF48, CF81, CF82, CF83, CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM5, CM6, CM7, CM8, CM9, CM11, CM12, CM13, CM14, CM15, CM16, CM17, CM18, CM19, CM20, CM21, CM22, CM23, CM24, CM77, CO9, DH1, DH6, DH7, DH8, DH9, DL4, DL5, DL8, DL11, DL12, DL13, DL14, DL15, DL16, DL17, IP24, IP25, IP26, IP27, IP28, LD3, MK1, MK2, MK3, MK4, MK5, MK6, MK7, MK8, MK9, MK10, MK11, MK12, MK13, MK14, MK15, MK16, MK17, MK18, MK19, MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45, MK46, NE18, NE20, NE44, NE45, NE46, NN1, NN2, NN3, NN4, NN5, NN6, NN7, NN8, NN9, NN10, NN11, NN12, NN13, NN29, NP4, NP11, NP12, NP13, NP22, NP23, NP24, NP44, NR1, NR2, NR3, NR4, NR5, NR6, NR7, NR8, NR9, NR10, NR11, NR12, NR13, NR14, NR15, NR16, NR17, NR18, NR19, NR20, NR21, NR22, NR23, NR24, NR25, NR26, NR27, NR28, NR29, NR30, NR31, NR32, NR33, NR34, NR35, PE12, PE13, PE14, PE19, PE30, PE31, PE32, PE33, PE34, PE35, PE36, PE37, PE38, RM4, SG5, SG6, SG7, SG8, SG9, SG10, SG11, SG15, SG16, SG17, SG18, SG19, TS21, TS28, TS29
January 3: LL20, LL21, LL23, SY10, SY15, SY16, SY17, SY19, SY21, SY22 January 6 CA9, CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, DG14, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49, TD9
January 7: CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, CA8, DG16, BH1, BH2, BH3, BH4, BH5, BH6, BH7, BH8, BH9, BH10, BH11, BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17, BH18, BH19, BH20, BH21, BH22, BH23, BH24, BH25, BH31, DT1, DT2, DT11, SP6, CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW12, SK10, SK11, ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7, ST12, ST14, ST15, ST16, ST17, ST18, ST19, ST20, ST21,CV36, GL54, GL55, GL56, OX7, OX15, OX16, OX17, WR12, LD1, LD2, LD4, LD5, LD6, LD7, LD8, SA19, SA20, SY7, SY9, SY18, 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, 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, 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, SY1, SY2, SY3, SY4, SY5, SY6, SY11, SY12, SY13, TF1, TF2, TF3, TF4, TF5, TF6, TF7, TF8, TF9, TF10, TF11, TF12, TF13, LE15, NN14, NN15, NN16, NN17, NN18, PE1, PE2, PE3, PE4, PE5, PE6, PE7, PE8, PE9, PE15, PE16, PE26, PE27, PE28, PE29, BT24, BT25, BT26, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, BT34
For each qualifying period of cold weather, recipients are entitled to £25, which is paid directly into their bank accounts. According to the latest data, some areas have received multiple payments due to prolonged periods of freezing temperatures, meaning households in certain regions could receive up to £50 in total.
Importantly, these payments are designed to help those on low incomes or who are receiving specific benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Income Support. The financial assistance aims to mitigate the strain of heating costs, which can become prohibitively expensive during particularly harsh winters.
Areas Most Affected by the Cold Weather
The cold weather has particularly affected northern England and Wales, with areas such as Greater Manchester, Cumbria, and Gloucestershire seeing multiple postcode triggers. According to the DWP, more than 532,000 households are set to benefit from the latest payments, with a significant portion located in Greater Manchester. The department also estimates that over 3.9 million people across the UK may be eligible for the Cold Weather Payment scheme.
This assistance is a welcome lifeline for those who might otherwise struggle to keep their homes warm. As temperatures across the UK have plummeted to as low as -12.5°C, the scheme has been a crucial means of support for vulnerable households, including the elderly and those with young children or health conditions.
The payments are part of a broader effort by the government to address the challenges posed by winter weather, with additional measures, such as the Pension Credit campaign, designed to ensure vulnerable people are not left without support.
Cold Weather Payments provide essential financial relief to millions of vulnerable households across the UK. As the country faces another harsh winter, these payments offer a much-needed cushion against the rising costs of heating, ensuring that those most in need are not left out in the cold.
