For customers on a low income, a Cold Weather Payment may be available for each seven-day period at or below zero degrees Celsius.
People on certain qualifying benefits are automatically eligible:
| Benefit | Entitlement |
|---|---|
| Pension Credit | Entitled |
| Income Support | Entitled if they receive:
|
| Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance | Entitled if they receive:
|
| Income-related Employment Support Allowance | Entitled if they receive:
|
This year payments are £25 per week for any seven consecutive days when the average temperature is zero degrees Celsius or below.
The scheme runs from 1 November to 31 March.
We use 85 specified Meteorological Office weather stations
As of 6 January 2010, 61 of the 85 weather stations have triggered a payment since 1 November (some of them have triggered three or four payments so far).
This is the most straightforward way to run the scheme. The Meteorological Office advises that the network of 85 weather stations is sufficient to provide national coverage with a reasonable level of local sensitivity.
There is a postcode search facility at: http://pensions.direct.gov.uk/en/cold-weather-payment/home.asp. (External website**)
This will show how many payments have been triggered for that postcode. Eligible customers will be paid automatically and do not need to apply.
Cold Weather Payments will not affect other benefits.
They don't need to apply – eligible customers will get a Cold Weather Payment automatically once payments are triggered for their area.
They should tell their pension centre or Jobcentre Plus if they think they should have received a Cold Weather Payment but have not had one. Customers may first like to use the online postcode search facility (External website**) to check if payments have been triggered for their area.
Customers will receive their money in the usual way that they receive their benefits. So if their benefit is paid directly into a bank account, the Cold Weather payment will be paid into the same account. If they receive their benefit by cheque, that is how they will receive their Cold Weather Payment.
Customers will generally receive payments within a week of the payment being triggered.
No, the Cold Weather Payment is a separate payment, paid on top of the Winter Fuel Payment.
Winter Fuel Payments are paid (mostly before Christmas) to those aged over 60. The amount of the Winter Fuel Payment is currently £250 for pensioners aged 60-79 years living alone. (£125 if they share a home with another eligible person). For people aged 80 or over the amount payable is £400 (£200 if they share a home with another eligible person aged 80 or over).
**Please note: High Peak Borough Council is not responsible for the content of any external websites.