People on six DWP benefits given 14-day alert of 'automatic bank top-up'

People on six benefits have been given a 14-day alert of an "automatic bank top-up" from the Department for Work and Pensions. From November 1, households receiving certain benefits could be eligible for extra money to help them keep warm during the cold weather until the end of March 2025.

The Cold Weather Payment is a £25 sum handed out every time your local weather station records the average temperature in your area as zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days or forecasts it to be so. If you're eligible, you'll receive the payment automatically. There's no limit on the number of payments you can get and no need to apply, but you should tell Jobcentre Plus if you have a baby or if a child under five comes to live with you, as this will increase your chances of being eligible.

The benefits that may qualify are Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Support for Mortgage Interest. For those claiming Universal Credit, you or your partner must have a health condition or disability and have been assessed as having limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity), or have a child under five living with you. You'll also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount on your claim.

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Those on the other eligible benefits usually also need to be receiving a disability or pensioner premium on top of their payment or have a disabled child or a child under five on their claim.

After each period of bitterly cold weather in your area, you should receive a payment within 14 working days. It's paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments with your National Insurance number alongside it followed by the identifying code DWP CWP for people in England and Wales. Since the winter of 2022/2023, the scheme no longer runs in Scotland, where people will instead get an annual Winter Heating Payment of £58.75 regardless of the weather in their area.

Minister for Pensions Emma Reynolds said: "As we head into the winter months, I want to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are getting the support they need, and that's why we have a range of measures targeted at helping low-income households, such as Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount.

"With the dire state of the public finances, we have had to make some tough choices, including means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment so that it goes to those most in need. And while these choices were not made lightly, this Government is doing everything it can to ensure maximum take-up of Pension Credit while also continuing to support pensioners through our commitment to the Triple Lock which will mean an increase in the full state pension of up to £1,700 over the next 5 years."

The Warm Home Discount is a separate scheme offering £150 to people who are on Pension Credit Guarantee Credit and those who are on low-income benefits and in a property deemed to have high energy costs (based on its age, type and size). This rebate is applied automatically to electricity accounts in the majority of cases.

Letters will arrive with eligible Warm Home Discount households between October and January. If someone has not received a letter by early January, they should check their energy account to see whether the amount has been credited automatically and, if not, contact the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 030 9322.

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