THOUSANDS of hard-up households are due £50 in free cash to cover the cost of heating.
Cold weather payments are issued in locations where residents experience sub-zero temperatures over a set timeframe.
AlamyCold weather payments are issued to hard-up households[/caption]
Households on benefits can get £25 for each seven-day period of chilly weather from now until March 31.
The money comes from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and is transferred into your bank account within 14 days of payments being triggered.
You don’t have to apply for the money as it is paid automatically if you qualify.
Because you receive £25 for seven consecutive days of cold weather, it means you can get £50 if there’s a 14-day burst of sub-zero temperatures.
Plus, further cold weather could see additional payments on top of this.
If you want to find out if you live in an area due for one of the payments, you can use the Government’s cold weather payment checker.
Either way, we’ve listed all the postcodes now eligible for two cold weather payments worth £50:
Carlisle – CA10-12, CA16-17
Lancaster – LA8-10, LA21-23
Eligibility for cold weather payments
You have to be receiving one of the following benefits to qualify for one of the payments:
Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
Income-related employment and support allowance
Support for mortgage interest
But you may also need to meet other criteria too, depending on your circumstances:
Have a disability or be in receipt of pension premium
Have a child who is disabled
Be in receipt of child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
Have a severe or enhanced disability premium
Be in receipt of a limited capability for work amount
Have a child under five living with you
You can find out more about eligibility on the government’s website.
Crucially, receiving a cold weather payment doesn’t impact any other benefits you get.
If you think you should have received a payment and haven’t, then contact your nearest pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office.
Alternatively, call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
If you are already on Universal Credit, you can also sign in to your account and add a note to your journal.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.