Overview
- As of January 6, hundreds of areas in England and Wales have been triggered for £25 payments, with reports consolidating roughly 441–451 postcode districts and around 670,000–674,000 households affected.
- Eighteen postcode areas have now qualified twice, bringing a total of £50 so far for eligible households in twelve parts of Cumbria, four in Northumberland, and two Scottish Borders districts that extend into England.
- Greater Manchester and Birmingham have not been triggered because their linked weather stations have not met the seven‑day average of 0°C or below, despite recent icy conditions.
- Northern Ireland officials say no triggers have been recorded there to date, and Scotland operates a separate Winter Heating Payment rather than the DWP’s Cold Weather Payment scheme.
- Payments are issued to qualifying recipients of benefits such as Pension Credit, certain legacy benefits and some Universal Credit claims, arrive within 14 working days, and typically show the reference ‘DWP CWP’.