As Nottingham and the county wake up to frost scenes today, Wednesday, January 18, many households will be concerned about another day of increased fuel costs as they turn the thermostat up in their homes to keep warm. The Government's Cold Weather Payments are designed to ease the burden when it comes to additional winter costs for certain households in very cold weather and some Notts postcodes are now in line for extra cash.
Cold Weather Payments are triggered when the average temperature in your area is recorded at, or forecast to be, 0C or below for seven consecutive days. The payments are worth £25 but you can receive multiple payments over a particularly harsh winter, if there are several prolonged periods of freezing weather.
With households in Nottinghamshire already experiencing a cold snap this winter, some postcodes in our region have already been inline for the pay-out, and certain UK areas have racked up £75 in payments over the 2022/2023 period so far, according to the Mirror, having seen the temperatures plummet to 0C or below for seven consecutive days.
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These payments go to people on low incomes who receive certain benefits. Most people should receive the cash automatically - although there are some situations where you won't, which is explained below.
Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland anymore - but you might be entitled to an annual £50 Winter Heating Payment instead.
The Met Office has forecast lows of -2C today for Nottingham with a chance of light snow showers by late morning, so there could be more payments on the way if the current cold weather continues. However, here are the postcodes currently eligible for Cold Weather Payments as reported by the Mirror.
Postcodes eligible for one Cold Weather Payment worth £25
Aberporth: SA35-48, SA64-65
Almondsbury: BS1-11, BS13-16, BS20-24, BS29-32, BS34-37, BS39-41, BS48-49, GL11-13, NP16, NP26
Andrewsfield – CB1-5, CB10-11, CB21-25, CM1-9, CM11-24, CM77, CO9, RM4, SG8-11
Bainbridge: DL8
Boscombe Down: BA12, RG28, SO20-23,SP1-5, SP7, SP9-11
Bramham: HG1–5, LS1-20, LS22-28, YO1, YO8, YO10, YO19, YO23-24, YO26, YO30-32, YO41-43, YO51, YO60-61
Brize Norton: OX1-6, OX8, OX11-14, OX18, OX20, OX25-29, SN7
Capel Curig: LL24-25, LL41
Charlwood: BN5-6, BN44, GU5-6, ME6, ME14-20, RH1-20, TN1-20, TN22, TN27
Charterhall: NE71
Chivenor: EX23, EX31-34, EX39
Coleshill: B1-21, B23-38, B40, B42-50, B60-80, B90-98, CV1-12, CV21-23, CV31-35, CV3 CV47, DY1-14, LE10, WS1-15, WV1-16
Crosby: CH41-49, CH60-66, FY1-8, L1-40, PR1-5, PR8-9, PR25-26
Dunkeswell Aerodrome: DT6-8, EX13-15, TA21
Fylingdales: YO13, YO18, YO21-22, YO62
Hawarden Airport: CH1-8, LL11-14, SY14
Heathrow: BR1-4, CR0, CR2-8, E1-18, E20, E1W, EN1-5, EN7-11, HA0-9, IG1-11, KT1-24, N1-22, NW1-11, SE1-28, SL0, SL3, SM1-7, SW2-20, TW1-20, UB1-11, W2-14
Hereford-Credenhill: GL1-6, GL10, GL14-20, GL50-53, HR1-9, NP7-8, NP15, NP25, SY8, WR1-11, WR13-15
Herstmonceux West End: BN7-8, BN20-24, BN26-27, TN21, TN31-40
Hurn: BH1-25, BH31, DT1-2, DT11, SP6
Keele: CW1-3, CW5, CW12, ST1-8, ST11-12, ST14-21
Lake Vrnwy: LL20-21, LL23, SY10, SY15-17, SY19, SY21-22
Leconfield: DN14, HU1-20, YO11-12, YO14-17, YO25
Leek: DE4, DE45, S32-33, SK13, SK17, SK22-23, ST9-10, ST13
Leeming: DL1-DL3, DL6,DL7, DL9, DL10, TS9, S16 YO7
Liscombe: EX16, EX35-36, TA22, TA24.
Loftus: SR8, TS1-8, TS10-14, TS17-20
Marham: CB6-7, IP24-28, PE12-14, PE30-38
Mona: LL33-34, LL42-49, LL51-78
Morpeth, Cockle Park: NE22, NE24, NE61-70
North Wyke: EX17-22, EX37-38, PL19-21, TQ10-11, TQ13
Nottingham Watnall: CV13, DE1-3, DE5-7, DE11-15, DE21-24, DE55-56, DE65, DE72-75, LE1-9, LE11-14, LE16-19, LE65, LE67, NG1-22, NG25, NG31-34
Odiham: GU1-4, GU7-35, GU46-47, GU51-52, RG1-2, RG4-8, RG10, RG12, RG14, RG18-27, RG29-31, RG40-42, RG45, SL1-2, SL4-6, SO24
Pembury Sands: SA1-8, SA14-18, SA31-34, SA61-63, SA66-73
Rhyl: LL15-19, LL22, LL26-32.
Rothamsted: AL1-10, EN6, HP1-4, LU1-7, SG1-4, SG12-14, WD3-7, WD17-19, WD23-25
Shawbury: SY1-6, SY11-13, TF1-13
Sheffield: DN1–8, DN11-12,HD1-2, HD4-6, S1-14, S17-18, S20-21, S25-26, S35, S40-45, S60-66, S70-75, S80-81, WF1-17.
Shoeburyness: BR5-8, CM0, CT5-6, DA1-18, ME1-5, ME7-13, RM1-3, RM5-20, SS0-9, SS11-17
Stonyhurst: BB1-3, BB5-7, LA2, LA6-7, PR6
St Bees Head: CA13-15, CA18-28
Thorney Island: BN1-3, BN9-18, BN25, BN41-43, BN45, PO1-22, PO30-41, SO14-19, SO30-32, SO40-43, SO45, SO50-53
Tibenham: NR1-35
Waddington: DN9-10, DN13, DN15-22, DN31-41, LN1-13, NG23-24, PE10-11, PE20-25.
Walney Island: LA1, LA3-5, LA11-20
Wattisham – CB8-9, CO1-8, CO10-16, IP1-23, IP29-33
Westonbirt: BA1-3, BA11, BA13-15, GL7-9, RG17, SN1-6, SN8-16, SN25-26
Wittering – LE15, NN14-18, PE1-9, PE15-17, PE26-29
Postcodes eligible for two Cold Weather Payments worth £50
Albemarle: DH1-7, DH9, DL4-5, DL14-17, NE1-13, NE15-18, NE20-21, NE23, NE25-46, SR1-7, TS21, TS28-29
Bainbridge: BD23-24, DL11-13
Benson: HP5-23, HP27, OX9, OX10, OX33, OX39, OX44, OX49, RG9, SL7-9
Bingley: BB4, BB8-12, BB18, BD1-22, HD3, HD7-9, HX1-7, LS21, LS29, OL13-14, S36
Carlisle: CA1-8, DG12, DG16
Exeter Airport: EX1-12, EX24, TQ1-6, TQ9, TQ12, TQ14
Libanus: NP4, NP11-13, NP22-24, NP44, SA9
Little Rissington: CV36, GL54-56, OX7, OX15-17, WR12
Llysdinam: LD1-2, LD4-8, SA19-20, SY7, SY9, SY18
Redesdale: CA9, DH8, NE19, NE47-49
Rochdale: BL0-9, M24, M26, OL1-12, OL15-16,SK15
Rostherne: CW4, CW6-11, M1-9, M11-23, M25, M27-35, M38, M40-41, M43-46, M50, M90, PR7, SK1-12, SK14, SK16, WA1-16, WN1-8
Shap: CA10-12, CA16-17, LA8-10, LA21-23
Stowe: NN1-7 NN11-13, MK18
Trawsgoed: LL35-40, SY20, SY23-25
Woburn: MK1-17, MK19, MK40-46, NN8-10, NN29, PE19, SG5-7, SG15-19
Yeovilton: BA4-10, BA16, BA20-22, BS25-28, DT9-10, SP8, TA1-20, TA23
Postcodes eligible for three Cold Weather Payments worth £75
Eskdalemuir: DG14, TD9
What you need to know abot Cold Weather Payments
The Government uses weather stations in England and Wales to determine when a Cold Weather Payment has been triggered. THe qualifying period started on November 1 and runs until March 31, 2023.
You could get a Cold Weather Payment if the temperature drops and you're receiving:
Pension Credit
Income Support (if you have any of the following: 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)
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (if you have any of the following: 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)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (if you have any of the following: 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)
Universal Credit (if you are not employed or self-employed, and you have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work, or you have a child under five living with you)
Support for Mortgage Interest (if you have any of the following: 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)
If you claim Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, you will need to contact Jobcentre Plus to get a Cold Weather Payment if:
You've had a baby
A child under five has come to live with you
How to check if you're due a Cold Weather Payment
You can check if you are due a payment in your area by looking up your postcode.
If you've not received a Cold Weather Payment and you think you're eligible, you should contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus.
How low does the temperature have to go?
You’ll get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days. So, just one night of a minus figure won't trigger the payment.
How much is paid?
For each seven-day period of very cold weather during the qualifying period above, you’ll get £25. You can check if you can get a payment in your area by clicking here. Be aware that Cold Weather Payments are different to Winter Fuel Payments.
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