DWP benefit claimants have been urged to check their bank accounts as a £25 one-off payment could soon be arriving. Experts fear people could miss out on the extra cash landing in their bank account, as part of the Cold Weather Payment scheme. The £25 payments go out to people on 6 benefits, if you meet certain other qualifying conditions, when temperatures are consistently below zero.
The cash payments go out to people in a geographical area where temperatures are below zero degrees celsius, or are forecast to be below freezing, across seven consecutive days. However, as the payments are automatic if you qualify, there are concerns people may not spot the extra cash on their bank statement.
Fiona Peake, personal finance expert at Ocean Finance, said: « One of the groups most at risk of not realising they’ve had a Cold Weather Payment are people who are on benefits that qualify but who don’t monitor small deposits into their bank account. » She pointed to three groups of people who may not notice they’ve had the payment.
Ms Peake said: « Because the payment is automatic you don’t need to apply, but if someone is moving between addresses, has changed bank account, or is not checking statements regularly then it’s easy to miss. The payment is £25 for each seven-day cold spell, which means you might overlook it on your bank statement.
« It could get buried among other payments, especially if you have regular debits or credits. » The payment will appear on your bank statement with either the code ‘DWP CWP’ if you live in England or ‘SSA DWP’ if you live in Northern Ireland.
The payment scheme has been replaced in Scotland with the Winter Heating Payment, a one-off payment of £59.75 that goes out regardless of the weather.
You can find out if a Cold Weather Payment has been triggered in your area using the postcode checker on the Government website.
Who is eligible for Cold Weather Payments?
People on these benefits may qualify for Cold Weather Payments:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
However, there may be other qualifying rules you need to meet. People on Pension Credit will usually qualify, but for others there are further criteria you need to meet.
For example, if you are on Universal Credit, you can only get the payment if you are not employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’ and if your partner also does not fall into either of these categories.
You also need to meet one of two other conditions. Either you or your partner must have a health condition or disability with limited capability for work, or you need to have a child under 5 living with you.
However, if you get an extra amount because your child is disabled, you will usually qualify for the payment regardless of your work situation. You can read the full qualifying rules on the Government website.
Mr Peake said: « If you believe you were eligible, your postcode was triggered and you’ve not received the payment, contact the Pension Service, Jobcentre Plus, or your Universal Credit helpline and ask them to check it. »
