Cost of living support helps 1.5 million pensioners and low-income households with winter bills

Almost 1.5 million households have received a £25 Cold Weather Payment since December, and over £35 million has been paid to vulnerable households across England and Wales this winter as part of wider cost of living support.

Almost 1.5 million households have received a £25 Cold Weather Payment since December, the Government reports. The payments are part of a package of measures intended to help vulnerable people with winter costs. That wider package includes an energy bill discount, a Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners, increases to the National Living Wage, and measures to boost Pension Credit take-up. Officials say some of the payments are made automatically when temperatures fall for a sustained period. What is known: - Almost 1.5 million households received a £25 Cold Weather Payment since December. - Over £35 million has been paid to vulnerable households across England and Wales this winter. - Cold Weather Payments are triggered automatically when temperatures reach 0°C or below for seven consecutive days; those receiving Pension Credit automatically qualify and some people on other benefits may also be eligible if they meet criteria. - Other measures cited include a £150 reduction in energy bills, a £300 Winter Fuel Payment for over nine million pensioners, a higher National Living Wage, removal of the two-child limit, and a £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund. - The Government ran a Pension Credit take-up campaign and a trial with Age UK and Independent Age that involved sending letters to 2,000 pensioners identified as likely eligible; Pension Credit is reported as worth on average £86 a week and provides access to additional support such as housing help and free NHS dental treatment. Summary: Officials report that the Cold Weather Payments and related measures have reached vulnerable households this winter and form part of a broader cost of living support package. The Pension Credit take-up campaign is ongoing and the Government notes the Triple Lock commitment, which is expected to raise the State Pension over this Parliament.