Last week's cold snowy snap triggered a Cold Weather Payment for eligible households in most parts of the North East. Only a handful of areas, mostly along the region's coasts, will miss out.
Those on certain benefits receive £25 each time the temperature is recorded as 0 degrees or below for seven consecutive days. And while last year saw no Cold Weather Payments go to families in our region, this year has seen three payments so far to most postcode areas.
There are an estimated four million eligible recipients for the Cold Winter Payments in the UK but last winter, only six seven-day cold snaps triggered the payments in the whole of the November-March period, and all of them were in Scotland from late December to early January.
Read more: Cost of living: Work out how much your heating costs per hour
You can check if your postcode is due a payment here. If you do qualify for a Cold Weather Payment, you’ll be paid automatically and the money should arrive in the bank account you already have registered with the DWP.
The following benefits qualify you for a Cold Weather Payment if your postcode is triggered:
- Pension Credit
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit
Support for Mortgage Interest
The following postcode areas will receive a payment for the seven-day period January 15-21:
NE postcodes: NE1-13, NE15-21, NE23, NE26-49
DH postcodes: All DH postcodes from DH1-9
SR postcodes: SR1-7
The following postcodes are not eligible for a payment:
NE postcodes: NE22, NE24-25, NE61-71.
SR postcodes: SR8
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