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Cold Weather Payments help people, who get certain income-related benefits (eg pension credit, income support, income based job seekers allowance and income related Employment and Support Allowance), with their increased heating costs caused by periods of very cold weather during winter. A period of very cold weather is when the temperature is either: - recorded as an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days in a row - forecast to be an average zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days in a row A network of weather stations gathers temperature information. This is used to see whether there has been a ‘period of very cold weather' in any postcode area. When there is a period of very cold weather in your postcode area, a Cold Weather Payment is made to eligible people who live there. People who live near to each other but in different postcode areas might get Cold Weather payments at different times. To find out if your area qualifies for a cold weather payment simply click on the following link and enter your post code - http://pensions-service.direct.gov.uk/en/cold-weather-payment/home.asp 21.12.11 |
The government's Cold Weather Payments scheme runs every winter from 1 November and 31 March. Eligible residents will get £25 for each seven day period of very cold weather between those dates.