The Labour Party and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) face mounting pressure to raise Cold Weather Payments by £15 following expert warnings about the current scheme’s effectiveness.
Cold Weather Payments currently offer £25 for each seven-day period during which the average temperature in a qualifying postcode falls to zero degrees Celsius or below. Eligibility is typically limited to households receiving Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, or Support for Mortgage Interest.
In Scotland, eligible households often receive an annual Winter Heating Payment instead, reflecting a regional variation in support. However, three researchers writing in The Conversation highlight alarming data from smart meters, showing that 63% of UK households disconnect their energy supply at least once a year, frequently due to financial strain.
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Thomas Longden, Senior Researcher at Western Sydney University; Brenda Boardman, Emeritus Research Fellow at the University of Oxford; and Tina Fawcett, Associate Professor at Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, advocate for reforms including advance payment distribution—potentially via utility companies for smart meter users—and increasing payments to £10 per day when temperatures drop below −4°C.
The experts stress, “A policy is only effective when clearly communicated and understood by those it serves. Without assurance that support payments have arrived, vulnerable people may hesitate to use heating on the coldest days, risking their health.”
Peter Smith, Director of Policy and Advocacy at National Energy Action, added: “Millions of vulnerable households risk missing out on Cold Weather Payments despite enduring prolonged freezing conditions amid record high energy bills. We urge the government to extend payments to those affected and consider more substantial energy discounts or a social tariff to ease financial burdens year-round.”
He also emphasized the importance of the government’s Warm Homes Plan, calling for significant investment in energy efficiency measures to make heating more affordable for fuel-poor households.