When DWP Cold Weather Payments land in bank accounts as 686 postcodes to get £25 boost

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that nearly 700 postcode areas in England and Wales are eligible for Cold Weather Payments following the recent cold snap.

Since the start of January, the threshold for payments has been reached in 686 postcode areas. The £25 payments are triggered when the temperature drops to 0C or below for a period of seven days in a row.

To be eligible for Cold Weather Payments, you need to be claiming a qualifying benefit from the DWP. Qualifying benefits include Universal Credit, Income Support and Pension Credit.

The recent wave of payments comes after a severe cold snap across the UK. The coldest January night in 15 years was recorded in Scotland over the weekend, when temperatures plummeted to -18.9C in Altnaharra. The average low in northern Scotland for this time of year is about 0.3C, while for England, overnight lows are about 1.5C to 1.6C.

If you’re eligible to get Cold Weather Payments, you’ll get a one-off £25 for each seven day period of very cold weather - when it is recorded or forecast to be zero or below for seven days. The scheme runs each year between November 1 and March 31.

The payments are based on postcode areas, with each area linked to one of 72 weather stations across England and Wales. The Met Office measures the daily average temperature at each of these weather stations and informs the DWP when the threshold has been met.

The threshold may be met several times over the winter months, meaning some postcode areas may get multiple payments. For example, some areas of Cumbria and Northumberland experienced a cold spell back in November and were sent a £25 payment then. Households then received a second £25 payment at the start of the year after