The past few days have seen freezing temperatures and ice warnings forecast around the UK. The mercury has dropped around the country for the first time this winter with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning for ice for most of Wales from Wednesday, December 7, to 12pm on Friday, December 9.
Gritters have also been spotted out on major roads for the first major operation of the winter season. Temperatures below zero degrees have been forecast for Wales this week after unseasonably mild weather in October and November.
While the colder weather has left people tempted to switch on their heating, many are reluctant with energy bills continuing to soar. But as well as a number of financial support schemes available to help you pay your bills this winter - you can find out more about those here - there is also extra help available through the cold weather payment. Here's everything you need to know about whether you qualify and how much you can get.
Read more: Met Office gives exact details for how cold it will get where you live and when
People who claim certain benefits automatically receive a £25 cold weather payment if the temperature in their area is recorded as or forecast to be zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. This cold weather payment scheme runs from November 1 to March 31.
Although it's set to be very cold, whether you will get a payment for this week depends on the specific temperatures and the mercury has to drop to zero or below for seven consecutive days to trigger the payment. So even if it's below freezing for six days, if the temperature rises on the seventh day, the clock will reset to zero and the counting will start again.
If you are on the following benefits, you will qualify for the payment:
- Pension credit
- Income support
- income-based jobseeker's allowance
- income-related employment and support allowance
- Universal credit
- Support for mortgage interest
You'll usually get cold weather payments if you get income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance or a disability or pensioner premium; a child who is disabled; child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element; or a child under five living with you.
You'll usually get it if you get universal credit and you're not employed or self-employed. One of the following must also apply:
- you have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)
- you have a child under five living with you
You'll also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you're employed or not. You'll also usually get cold weather payments if you get support for mortgage interest (SMI) and you have; a severe or enhanced disability premium; a pensioner premium; a child who is disabled; child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element; or a child under five living with you.
After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days, paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. Cold weather payments do not affect your other benefits, so you don't need to worry about losing those if you want to claim it.
If you get income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance and either you've had a baby or a child under five has come to live with you, you must tell Jobcentre Plus as you will not automatically get cold weather payments if you don't.
If you don't receive your payment and you believe you are eligible, you can contact the pension service or Jobcentre Plus.
If you're getting universal credit you can sign in to your account and add a note to your journal. If you do not have an online account, ring the Universal credit helpline instead on 0800 328 5644. You can get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox by signing up for our money newsletter here.
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