Cold Weather Payments: Qualifying households due up to £75 as energy prices rise | Personal Finance | Finance
Ofgem announced in February that the energy price cap would be increasing by almost £700, a devastating blow for many families that could see them plunged into fuel poverty. As the deadline for winter benefits such as Cold Weather Payments edges closer, qualifying Britons are urged to ensure they receive every penny they are due to help offset the rising cost of living.
A few cold snaps this winter season has seen many households receiving Cold Weather Payments, with residents of Braemar, Aberdeenshire receiving £75.
Cold Weather Payments are automatically issued to eligible households for every seven consecutive days of extremely cold temperatures.
These include temperatures either forecast or recorded as below zero degrees celsius and earns residents £25 for each seven day period.
The scheme was created to help struggling households pay their bills during the most energy-intensive time of the year.
Now, as the cost of living crisis and increasing energy bills threaten to push many households over the edge, Britons are urged to check they have received what they are due.
The scheme runs from November 1 to March 31 and households can check if their postcode has experienced qualifying temperatures using the online postcode checker.
The money should automatically be sent to the same account residents receive their usual benefits payments in, within 14 working days of the trigger temperatures.
Anyone who believes they should have received a Cold Weather Payment but have not are advised to contact the Jobcentre Plus, Pension Service or the Universal Credit helpline.
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