Check if you’re missing out on extra cold weather cash worth up to £600

There are still a few more weeks until warmer weather finally arrives.

If you need some extra help to cover the cost of your energy bills, there are several schemes which could give you financial support this winter.

The majority of these schemes, which are run by the UK Government, are still running now – and if you're eligible you can put in a claim.

Mirror Money has compiled a full list of the support which could be available to you along with the eligibility criteria for each, and how much you potentially could get.

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Cold Weather Payments – £25

Cold Weather Payments, worth £25, are normally paid automatically by the DWP when your town or city experiences, or is forecast to experience, temperatures zero degrees and under for seven consecutive days.

The scheme runs from November 1 to March 31 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and to be eligible you must claim the following benefits:

• Pension Credit

• Income Support (if you have any of the following: disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)

• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (if you have any of the following: disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (if you have any of the following: severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)

• Universal Credit (if you are not employed or self-employed, and you have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work, or you have a child under five living with you)

• Support for Mortgage Interest (if you have any of the following: severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element or a child under five living with you)

As we've mentioned above, you should be paid automatically – but there are some circumstances where you won't.

You will need to contact your Jobcentre Plus if you claim Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance and:

• You've had a baby
• A child under five has come to live with you

Some areas experienced several stints of freezing weather over the last few months and could be entitled to receive three payments worth £75.

You can check if your area was eligible for the £25 payment using the Government's online postcode checker.

Scotland has got rid of the Cold Weather Payment and replaced it with a new winter heating payment, and unlike the cold weather payment, the Scottish payment does not depend on how cold the temperature gets.

It’s a yearly payment of £50 that’s paid automatically to those who are eligible on certain benefits.

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Winter fuel payments – £600

Winter Fuel Payments are an annual one-off sum worth between £100 and £300 for households that include someone born on or before 25 September 1956.

The amount you will receive is dependent on your specific circumstances such as if you live alone or with someone or claim certain benefits.

This year, eligible households are being paid the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living payment on top of the Winter Fuel Payment, which has meant some homes have received up to £600.

Your Winter Fuel Payment will normally be smaller if you live in a care home or nursing home and don't get one of the following benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

You won't get a Winter Fuel Payment at all if you live in a care home or nursing home and you don't get any of these benefits.

You can see how much you're likely to get here.

The deadline for you to make a claim for winter is March 31 2023.

Warm Home Discount – £150

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off payment of £150 taken off your electricity bill or added to your prepayment meter.

You should get the payment automatically if you live in England and Wales and you, or your partner, receive the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit.

You may also get the Warm Home Discount if you are on a low income, claiming certain benefits and have high energy costs.

If you live in Scotland, you'll need to apply if you're part of the group who is eligible through claiming benefits or low income.

The qualifying means-tested benefits are:

• Housing Benefit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• "Savings Credit" part of Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

You could also qualify if your household income falls below a certain threshold and you get:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Suppliers can choose to offer the discount to more customers.

If you haven't received the money and you think you're eligible, call the Warm Home Discount helpline on 0800 107 8002.

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Energy bill rebate – £134

Next month is the last month you will receive the energy bill rebate, which overall will have given you £400 off your energy bills since October last year.

Every household in the UK is set to receive another £67 discount on their energy bill in February and then again in March totalling a discount of £134.

The scheme reaches its completion in March after having been launched in October last year, and the government has confirmed that it will not be extended.

If you pay your bills by direct debit you will receive the discount automatically – either as a deduction to your monthly payments or as a refund to your bank account.

The discount is provided monthly, regardless of whether you pay bills monthly or quarterly or have an associated payment card.

Smart prepayment meter customers will also receive the discount automatically and prepay customers are sent discount vouchers by text, email or post that they will need to redeem.

A small number of suppliers are returning the money to customers’ bank accounts instead.

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