DWP can now put £25 in certain bank accounts should the weather get so cold

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that eligible households will receive £25 during the cold weather. This energy assistance initiative offers residents of England and Wales £25 for each seven consecutive day period where temperatures plummet to zero degrees Celsius or below.

Should the chilly weather persist, additional payments could boost the total to £50 or even £75. These automatic payments should show up in qualifying individuals' bank accounts within two weeks following a cold spell, identified as "DWP CWP" on bank statements.

The funds will be deposited into the same account recipients use for benefit payments. It opened on November 1 and the scheme is set to run until March's end next year.

Eligibility for the Cold Weather Payments requires households to be beneficiaries of certain DWP aids, including Pension Credit, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, or Universal Credit. Yet claiming doesn't guarantee receipt, reports the Mirror.

Those on Pension Credit will generally qualify unless they reside in care homes. However, eligibility criteria are more specific for Income Support and income-based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA); you must have a disability or pensioner premium, a disabled child, receive Child Tax Credits with a disability component, or have a child under five in your home.

Eligibility for income-related employment and support allowance includes individuals with a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, or those with a disabled child. Additionally, claimants of Child Tax Credits with a disability or severe disability element, or those with a child under five living with them, may also qualify.

For Universal Credit claimants, eligibility requires having a health condition or disability with a "limited capability for work" or having a child under five living with them. Furthermore, support for mortgage interest (SMI) eligibility includes individuals with a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, or a disabled child, as well as those receiving Child Tax Credits with a disability or severe disability element, or having a child under five living with them.

Minister for Pensions Emma Reynolds emphasized the importance of supporting the most vulnerable members of society during the winter months, highlighting the availability of DWP support, including the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment. She stated: "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 five years."