Storm Dacry has brought snow and plummeting temperatures to most parts of Scotland this week forcing many households to put the heating on for longer in a bid to keep the cold at bay.
Staying warm at this time of year is essential, and with lockdown restrictions still in place across the country, more people are spending more time at home, which could have an impact on energy bills.
However, some households may be eligible for financial support to help with these costs through the Cold Weather Payment scheme - more than 700,000 payments have been made so far this winter across the UK.
People on a low income and in receipt of certain benefits can claim the Cold Weather Payment to help with heating costs when the temperature is recorded as, or forecast to be, colder than zero degrees Celsius across seven consecutive days.
Eligible claimants will get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 - you can check if your area is due a payment on the GOV.UK website here.
After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It is paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.
It is also worth noting that Cold Weather Payments do not affect your other benefits.
You will be eligible for Cold Weather Payments if you are receiving:
Pension Credit
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Universal Credit
Support for Mortgage Interest
Latest list of Scottish postcodes where £25 Cold Weather Payments have been issued
AB10-16, AB21-25, AB30-39, AB41-45, AB51-56
DD8-9
DG1-14, DG16
EH1-49, EH51-55
FK1-21
G63, G65, G67-68
IV1-20, IV23-24, IV27-28, IV30-32, IV36, IV40-49, IV51-56, IV63
KA1-30
KW11, KW13
KY3-5, KY11-14
ML1-3,ML6-12
PA20, PA28-29, PA33, PA36, PA40, PA41-49, PA60
PH1-11, PH13, PH15-26, PH30-35, PH37, PH49-50
TD7, TD9
ZE1-3
Find out more about Cold Weather Payments here.
