Overview
- About 6,000 households in parts of Cumbria, Northumberland and English sections of the Scottish Borders qualify under the initial activation.
- Eligible recipients on specified benefits will be paid automatically into bank accounts within 14 working days, typically referenced with their National Insurance number and “DWP CWP.”
- Payments are triggered when the average temperature is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below for seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to a postcode.
- Amber cold-weather health alerts remain in place for the North East and North West until midday on 5 January, with forecasts of temperatures near −5°C, snow, ice and strong winds.
- Roughly 3.9 million people are eligible for the scheme across England and Wales, while Scotland provides annual winter heating support and Northern Ireland runs a similar separate scheme, and further activations are possible if the cold persists.