Thousands of people across England – including residents in five ST postcodes – are eligible for Cold Weather Payments. As temperatures dip below freezing across the country, households will be looking out for updates on the payments by the DWP which help people with heating bills during cold snaps.
During the winter of 2024/25, the payments have been made in a number of postcode areas. Eligible households in ST8, ST9, ST10, ST11 and ST13 will receive a £25 payment towards the extra cost of heating their homes during the current cold snap.
The DWP authorises a Cold Weather Payment when the average temperature is forecast to stay below zero for seven consecutive days in a particular area. The payments are made to people in receipt of certain benefits, depending on eligibility. You can check payments for your postcode area on our interactive map:
The DWP scheme runs every winter until March 31st. Cold Weather Payments are made to people in England and Wales who receive a range of benefits.
A separate scheme is operated in Northern Ireland along similar lines, but in Scotland, support for heating bills is paid every winter and not linked to specific spells of cold weather. There are an estimated 3.9 million people eligible for Cold Weather Payments under the DWP scheme, and of these, 1.2 million are in receipt of Pensions Credit.
Last year, 364,000 payments were made across England and Wales at a total cost of £9.1 million. In some areas of Cumbria, the Cold Weather Payments were triggered three times during separate spells of freezing weather last winter, meaning eligible recipients were paid £75 in total.
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