Temperatures in Wales have fallen dramatically - in some areas, to as low as -7.7°C. Parts of Wales woke up to snow on Wednesday morning, with dozens of schools closed due to the weather.
The Met Office has also issued a new snow warning for the rest of this week, and several roads have been closed. You can follow the latest on the impact of the snowfall through our live blog here.
When it gets this cold, you might start wondering about the Cold Weather Payment, and whether you're due an instalment of it. We've put together this handy guide on what the payment is, how to know whether you're eligible, and everything else there is to know about it.
What is a Cold Weather Payment?
A Cold Weather Payment a sum of money given out to people receiving certain benefits or Support for Mortgage interest, in periods of especially cold weather. The payments are given out when the average temperature in an area drops below, or is forecast to drop below freezing for seven consecutive days.
The scheme runs from November 1, 2022, until March 1, 2023. You may be eligible for the payment if you are receiving:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
How much do you get given in a Cold Weather Payment?
You get given £25 for each seven-day period if you live in Wales or England. This is different for people living in Scotland. This isn't the same payment as the Fuel Support Scheme (that's run by the Welsh Government, and has a deadline coming up for anyone looking to apply).
It's also separate from the Winter Fuel Payment, for which you'll be eligible if you were born before September 26, 1956. If you didn't receive the payment by January 13 despite being owed it, you can find out what to do here.
How do I know if I'm owed a payment?
You get a cold weather payment if the average temperature in your area dips below zero degrees, or is forecast to be below zero degrees, for a seven-day period. It's calculated based on weather stations - there are 72 across the UK, 13 of which cover Wales.
If any postcode covered by your weather station is eligible for a payment, then all the postcodes covered by that station are. For example, Merthyr Tydfil and Cwmbran are monitored by the same weather station, and would both get the payment if the station records the required temperature - even if the actual average temperature is below zero in Merthyr and above zero in Cwmbran.
So, you get a Cold Weather Payment if the average temperature at any of the following weather stations drops below zero, or is forecast to, for the seven-day period, and your postcode is in the list next to the station. Some of these stations also cover postcodes in England (not included here) and postcodes which overlap the border between England and Wales (which have been included).
Have any Cold Weather Payments been given out in 2023?
In short - no. The last Cold Weather Payments given out in Wales were for the extreme cold weather recorded in mid-December - with temperatures dropping to -12°C in some places, making it the coldest night in Wales for more than a decade.
This is because the average temperature hasn't dropped below the threshold for a long enough period yet in January 2023. You can use this page to check the dates of when payments have been given out.
Many areas were eligible for payments for 2022 though, which you should have been paid automatically if eligible.
These postcodes that were eligible for a week-long period in December:
SA35-48, SA64-65 (Albemarle)
NP16, NP26 (Almondsbury)
LL24-25, LL41 (Capel Curig)
CH1, CH4-8, LL11-14, SY14 (Hawarden Airport)
GL16, HR2-3, HR5, NP7-8, NP15, NP25 (Hereford-Credenhill)
LL20-21, LL23, SY10, SY15-17, SY19, SY21-22 (Lake Vyrnwy)
LL33-34, LL42-49, LL51-78 (Mona)
SA1-8, SA14-18, SA31-34, SA61-63, SA66-73 (Pembrey Sands)
LL15-19, LL22, LL26-32 (Rhyl)
These postcodes there were eligible for two payments for two week-long periods in December
CF37-48, CF81-83, LD3, NP4, NP11-13, NP22-24, NP44, SA9 (Libanus)
LD1-8, SA19-20, SY7, SY9, SY18 (Llysdinam)
LL35-40, SY20, SY23-25 (Trawsgoed)
Will there be a payment after January's cold weather?
Temperatures in parts of Wales have fallen as low as -7.7°C and a yellow weather warning has been issued - but temperatures haven't been below zero on average for a seven-day period. However, the UK Government's website says you could get a payment if the average temperature in your area is "forecast to be" below zero for a seven-day period.
The forecast for the next few days is for more dry, cold and sunny weather until the temperatures start to pick up again over the weekend. This means that, at the time of writing, nobody in Wales will be receiving a new Cold Weather Payment in January, presumably as the temperature is not yet forecast to drop below zero for a long enough period.
If temperatures continue to fall, you can keep an eye on the UK Government's website to see if you're owed anything.
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