What are cold weather payments and who can get them?

This financial help is triggered across hundreds of postcodes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland when there is a prolonged period of below-zero temperatures. In Scotland, those on low incomes and benefits may receive a separate winter heating payment, which does not depend on how cold it gets. Hospital stays can affect your entitlement to the payment so you should tell the Pension Service , external or Jobcentre Plus , external if you become an inpatient.

In Scotland, the winter heating payment is worth £62 , external , and is paid automatically between December and February. The money should be paid automatically into the same bank or building society account as your benefits, within two weeks of the qualifying period of cold weather. About nine million pensioners get the Winter Fuel Payment, after a government u-turn over changes to the eligibility rules.

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