Thousands to get £25 Cold Weather Payments this winter as scheme opens today – check your eligibility

Eligible recipients can receive £25 for each seven-day period when the average temperature in their area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below.

Payments are triggered automatically for those who qualify, with no need to apply.

If the cold snap lasts longer, Britons do get more payments. This means they could be eligible to get £50 or even £75.

Emma Reynolds, Minister for Pensions said: "As we head into the winter months, I want to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are getting the support they need."

The payment process is straightforward for eligible households. Recipients can expect the money to appear in their bank accounts within 14 days of each seven-day cold spell.

The payment will be labelled "DWP CWP" on bank statements for those in England and Wales.

To check if a payment is due in their area, households can use the DWP's Cold Weather Payment postcode checker tool.

To be eligible for Cold Weather Payments, households must receive one of several benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Support for Mortgage Interest

However, additional criteria may apply. For instance, those on Income Support must also have a disability or pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under five.

With Pension Credit, claimants will be eligible for the payment as long as they don't live in a care home.

Universal Credit claimants need a health condition or disability with "limited capability for work", or a child under five.

For income-related Employment and Support Allowance, eligibility includes having a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under five.

Specific requirements vary by benefit, and full details can be found on the Government website.

The Cold Weather Payment scheme will continue to operate until March 31, 2025, providing crucial support throughout the winter months.

For households in Scotland, a different system applies. They may receive an annual Winter Heating Payment of £58.75, paid automatically in December through Social Security Scotland.

This appears as 'WHP' on bank statements and is expected to be paid before February 2025.

Eligible Scottish residents will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland in advance of the payment.