UK households on certain benefits could receive up to £25 a week more in cash from this month as part of a winter support package.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging people to check their eligibility for cold weather payments, which are paid automatically to those who qualify.

Payments, worth up to £25 per week, are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded or is expected to be at or below OC for seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible household’s postcode .

The £25 payments are then paid automatically to those on certain benefits to help cover heating costs in the colder months, with the payments rolling out from this month.

The money will appear on bank statements within 14 days following each seven-day cold spell between November 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, with the DWP confirmation of payment reference will start with your national insurance number followed by ‘DWP CWP’ for people in England and Wales.

To qualify for cold weather payments, you must claim at least one of the following benefits:

• Pension credit

• Income support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Universal Credit

• Support for Mortgage Interest

You may also be eligible if you meet any of the following additional criteria:

• you benefit from a disability or pension bonus

• you have a disabled child

• you receive a child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element

• you have a child under the age of five living with you

• you benefit from a severe or increased disability premium

• you (or your partner if you have one) suffer from a health problem or disability and have limited work capacity

You do not need to request payment as it will be paid automatically if you are eligible. If you think you are entitled to payment but have not received it, you should contact Pensions service Or Pôle Emploi Plus. You can also check if your area has received a cold weather payment by typing your zip code on the government website.

If you have Universal Credit, you can log into your account and add a note to your diary, or call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 if you don’t have an online account.