Cold weather payments triggered as temperatures plummet to zero

Snowfalls and freezing temperatures have triggered the first cold weather payments of this winter, with £25 going to about 200,000 households to help with heating costs in the next few days. Payments will be made by 1 December to eligible households linked to the weather stations of Aviemore, Tulloch Bridge and Braemar in Scotland, and Vyrnwy, Tredegar and Sennybridge in Wales. In England, the payments have been triggered in Burnley, Peterborough and Worthing, as well as in parts of Newcastle. Cold weather payments are made when average temperatures are recorded or forecast to be zero degrees centigrade or below for seven consecutive days. The temperature does not have to stay at zero for the entire time, but must be at or below zero at some point every day during the period. About 4 million people in the UK are potentially eligible for cold weather payments, including 2 million who receive pension credit. Payments are also made to disabled adults and children, and families with children under five who receive an income-related benefit. The payments will be made automatically into qualifying recipients' bank accounts, but you can check if payments have been triggered in your postcode on the Directgov website . Last winter the government made 11.9m cold weather payments worth £297m. Steve Webb, minister for pensions, said: "Cold weather payments provide real help to the most vulnerable people, and that is why the coalition government took action to permanently increase them to £25 from the budgeted rate of £8.50. We don't want people to worry about turning up their heating when temperatures plummet." Many pensioners will also receive winter fuel payments, worth £250 for households with someone aged up to 79, and £400 for households with someone aged 80 or more before Christmas. For more information visit Directgov .