DWP Cold Weather Payments start this weekend

Under the Cold Weather Payment scheme, eligible households receive £25 whenever the average temperature in their area is recorded or forecast to be zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.

The Department for Work and Pensions scheme will run until March 31, 2027, covering the coldest months of the year.

Almost 1.5 million households had received a payment by mid-February last winter.

Cold weather triggered support in areas including the North East, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Wales.

Payments are made automatically and do not affect any other benefits a person receives.

People claiming Pension Credit will usually qualify, while some recipients of income-related Employment and Support Allowance may also be eligible.

This includes people in a work-related activity group or support group. Others may qualify if they receive certain disability or pensioner premiums, have a disabled child or live with a child under five.

Some Universal Credit claimants and people receiving Support for Mortgage Interest may also qualify, although additional conditions apply.

Receiving Universal Credit alone does not guarantee a payment. Eligibility depends on factors including employment status, health conditions and household circumstances.

For Universal Credit claimants specifically, both the individual and their partner must be neither employed nor “gainfully self-employed” to meet the basic threshold.

A person is generally considered gainfully self-employed if it is their main occupation, they work regularly and they expect to turn a profit.

Beyond that, at least one further condition must be met. Either the claimant or their partner must have a health condition or disability that gives them limited capability for work, or there must be a child under five in the household.

There is one exception to the employment rules. Households with a disabled child amount included in their Universal Credit claim will qualify regardless of whether anyone in the household is working or self-employed.

Tom Rogers, a home expert at Manage At Home, urged benefit recipients and pensioners to stay alert for fraudulent text messages as the scheme reopens.

“With households looking for help with winter heating costs, a message promising a payment can understandably catch someone’s attention, that’s why it’s essential for pensioners or those within receipt of benefits to be on alert,” Mr Rogers said.

He warned that criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to craft realistic-looking messages and websites. “Correct spelling, professional wording and familiar branding should never be taken as proof that something is genuine,” he added.

Mr Rogers stressed that the payments are sent out automatically to those who qualify. “You do not need to follow a link in a text, pay a fee or complete an application to release the money,” he said.

Mr Rogers also cautioned people to watch out for messages that create a false sense of urgency.

Tactics such as “last chance” deadlines or threats of losing payments are common tricks used by scammers, he said.

He added that spelling mistakes alone should not be relied upon as a way to spot a fraudulent message, given how sophisticated modern scams have become.

Anyone who receives a suspicious text should forward it to 7726, the number used to report potential scams to mobile operators.

Mr Rogers warned that those who have already handed over bank details or other financial information in response to a fraudulent message should take immediate action to protect their accounts.

The scheme does not apply to residents of Scotland, who may instead receive an annual Winter Heating Payment.