Cold weather payment: What is it and how do you claim it?

Keeping your home and family warm during winter can be a huge source of financial worry for many people.

Heating your home during the colder months can be an additional stress for those on low incomes, especially with the ongoing energy price crisis.

The Met Office forecast several days of sub-zero temperatures in Wales earlier this week and snow even fell in Pen y Fan and other parts of the country.

Read more: These are the stunning pictures from Pen y Fan as snow falls in parts of Wales

Thankfully there is help out there in the form of the cold weather payment, which offers you a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

Here's everything you should know about the cold weather payment including eligibility, how much you get and how to claim it.

What is the cold weather payment?

According to the UK government website, the cold weather payment is a payment you can receive if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over seven consecutive days.

You’ll get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022.

How can I find out if I am eligible?

You may get cold weather payments if you’re getting any of the following benefits:

• Pension credit
• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Universal credit
• Support for mortgage interest

You’ll also usually get cold weather payments if you get pension credit, which you may qualify for if you're at the state pension age and on a low income. Read more about that payment here.

You’ll usually get cold weather payments if you get income support or income-based jobseeker’s allowance or a disability or pensioner premium; a child who is disabled; child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element; or a child under five living with you.

You’ll usually get it if you get universal credit and you’re not employed or self-employed. One of the following must also apply:

• you 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’ll also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you’re employed or not.

You’ll also usually get cold weather payments if you get support for mortgage interest (SMI) and you have; a severe or enhanced disability premium; a pensioner premium; a child who is disabled; child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element; or a child under five living with you.

How do I apply?

You do not need to apply. If you’re eligible to get a cold weather payment, you’ll be paid it automatically.

After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days, paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.

Cold weather payments do not affect your other benefits, so you don't need to worry about losing those if you want to claim it.

If you get income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance or income-related employment and support allowance and either you’ve had a baby or a child under five has come to live with you, you must tell Jobcentre Plus as you will not automatically get cold weather payments if you don't.

If you don't receive your payment and you believe you are eligible, you can contact the pension service or Jobcentre Plus.

If you’re getting universal credit you can sign in to your account and add a note to your journal. If you do not have an online account, ring the Universal credit helpline instead on 0800 328 5644.

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