UPDATE: The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has just announced that 673,000 people across England and Wales will receive cold weather payments totaling £16.8 million. This urgent initiative is in response to a significant drop in temperatures, marking the first disbursement of the winter season.
Eligible recipients will receive £25 each within 14 days as part of a scheme designed to assist vulnerable individuals during extreme cold. The payments are triggered when average temperatures plunge to zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days, as recorded by the Met Office at 71 weather stations.
The payments are automatically issued to those living in regions where temperatures meet the criteria. Notably, the stations at Bingley, West Yorkshire, and Rothamsted, Hertfordshire, accounted for a combined total of over 178,000 payments during the week ending January 2, 2025.
This winter, an estimated 4.4 million people in England and Wales qualify for these payments, including approximately 1.2 million recipients of pension credit. The cold weather payment scheme operates from November 1 to March 31 each year, and this is the first activation for the 2025/26 season.
Residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate arrangements for similar support. The DWP’s initiative aims to alleviate hardship among those most affected by the severe weather, ensuring timely financial assistance as temperatures continue to drop.
As temperatures remain a concern, those eligible are urged to check their local weather station’s data to confirm their status. For further updates on cold weather payments and other financial assistance programs, stay tuned to official announcements and local news sources.
This announcement is expected to have a significant impact on the lives of many vulnerable individuals, offering much-needed support during the harsh winter months.
