Cold weather payments: who is eligible for the £25 increase and how can I apply?

The free money, known as the Cold Weather Payment, comes from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

It is designed to help low-income people with their energy bills when temperatures drop.

People tend to use more energy when temperatures drop because they have to turn up the heating.

Under the scheme, which runs between November 1 and March 31, households can get £25 for every seven days of low temperatures.

You do not need to request payments, they will be made automatically if you qualify.

You may be owed multiple payouts if the cold weather lasts longer than seven days.

Some areas have paid as much as £75 in previous years.

Here is a list of the 149 zip codes that are eligible for cold weather payments as of Friday, January 20.

January 20

• Bolton-BL0-9
• Brighton – BN5-6, BN44
• Carlisle-CA1-8
• Dumfries and Galloway – DG12, DG16
• Guildford-GU5-6
• Llandrindod Wells – LD1-2, LD4-8
• Manchester-M24, M26
• Oldham-OL1-12, OL15-16
• Redhill-RH1-20
• Rochester-ME6, ME14-20
• Shrewsbury-SY7, SY9, SY18
• Stockport-SK15
• Swansea-SA19-20
• Tunbridge Wells-TN1-20, TN22, TN27

21st of January

• Cambridge CB8-9
• Colchester-CO1-8, CO16
• Ipswich – IP1-23, IP29-33

Prior to this, thousands were eligible for up to three payments worth £75, after hundreds more postcodes were activated between November 28 and January 13:

November 28

• Blackburn-BB4, BB8-12, BB18
• Bolton-BL0-9
• Bradford-BD1-24
• Carlisle – CA1-12, CA16-CA17
• Cleveland-TS21, TS28-29
• Crewe-CW4, CW6-11
• Darlington-DL4-5, DL8, DL11-17
• Dumfries and Galloway-DG16
• Durham-DH1-9
• Halifax-HX1-7
• Huddersfield HD3, HD7-9
• Lancaster-LA8-LA10, LA21-LA23
• Leeds-LS21, LS29
• Manchester-M1-9, M11-35, M38, M4-46, M50, M90
• Newcastle upon Tyne – NE1-13, NE15-21, NE23, NE25-49
• Oldham-OL1-16
• Preston PR7
• Sheffield-S36
• Shrewsbury-SY1-6, SY11-13
• Stockport-SK1-12, SK14-16
• Sunderland-SR1-7
• Telford-TF1-13
• Warrington-WA1-16
• Wigan-WN1-8
• Yorkshire – YO13, YO18, YO21-22, YO62

5th of December

• Newcastle-upon-Tyne-NE71
• Galashiels-TD9, TD12, TD15
• Derby-DE4, DE45
• Sheffield-S32-33
• Stockport-SK13, SK17, SK22-23
• Stoke-on-Trent – ST9, ST10, ST13

December 8

• Carlisle-CA10-12, CA16-17
• Lancaster-LA8-10, LA21-23

January 12

• Carlisle-CA9-12, CA16-17
• Durham-DH8
• Newcastle-NE19, NE47-49
• Lancaster-LA8-10, LA21-23

January 13

• Blackburn-BB4, BB8-12, BB18
• Bradford-BD23-24
• Cambridge CB6-7
• Cardiff-CF37-48, CF81-83
• Cleveland-TS21, TS28-29
• Darlington-DL4-5, DL8, DL11-17
• Derby-DE4, DE45
• Durham-DH1-9
• Galashiels-TD12, TD15
• Halifax-HX1-7
• Hemel Hempstead-HP5-23, HP27
• Huddersfield HD3, HD7-9
• Ipswich-IP24-28
• Leeds-LS21, LS29
• Llandrindod Wells-LD4
• Newcastle – NE1-13, NE15-18, NE20-21, NE23, NE25-46, NE71
• Nieuwpoort – NP4, NP11, NP12, NP13, NP22-24, NP44
• Oldham-OL13-14
• Oxford-OX9-10, OX33, OX39, OX44, OX49
• Peterborough-PE12-14, PE30-38
• Reading – RG9
• Sheffield-S32-33, S36
• Slough – SL7-9
• Stockport-SK13, SK17, SK22-23
• Stoke-on-Trent – ST9-10, ST13
• Sunderland-SR1-7
• Swansea SA9
• York-YO13, YO18, YO21, YO22, YO62

Who is eligible for cold weather benefits?

Households are eligible for the extra money if they receive the following:

Depending on your specific circumstances, you may also need to meet one or more of the following additional criteria:

• If you are disabled or receive a pension premium
• Have a child who is disabled
• Receive a child tax credit that includes a disability or serious disability element
• Have a premium for serious or increased disability
• Receive a limited work capacity
• Make sure that a child under the age of five lives with you

More information about eligibility can be found on the government website.

Receiving the cold weather benefit will not affect any other benefits you may receive.

If you are eligible, you will automatically receive the payments within 14 days to the same account where you receive your benefits.

But if you think you should receive the payment and haven't, contact your pension center or Jobcentre Plus office, or call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.

If you receive Universal Credit, you can also log into your account and add a note to your diary.