DWP payments being made before Christmas worth up to £485 - what you need to know

Here are four DWP payments set to be paid in December and explained who will be eligible for them, the criteria, and when people should expect the cash to be paid into their accounts

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be making several payments to households across the country between now and Christmas.

The money will come from four DWP schemes which are paid out every year, although some may be paid a tad later in the New Year. If you are eligible to get all of these payments then you will receive a total payment of at least £485 - however, this could be even higher for some households

Here, we have rounded up each of the four payments set for December and explained who will be eligible for them, the criteria, and when people should expect the cash to be paid into their account.

Winter Fuel Payment - £300

The Winter Fuel Payment has made headlines over the summer after the new Labour Government changed the eligibility rules. Originally, the energy bill support payment was given to all pensioners over the age of 66. However, this year it will only be given to those over 66 and claiming certain benefits. The support will still be paid to over 1.4million people this winter - although this is down from the 11.4million who were eligible before.

The support payment is still worth up to £300, depending on your circumstances. This year, you can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 23, 1958. In most cases, you also need to have lived in the UK for at least one day in the qualifying week - which this year is 16 to 22 of September.

The money is paid over November or December and the DWP will start sending letters out to those who qualify for the support next month. This letter will tell them how much they will get and provide them with an estimated pay date. Some households will need to put in a claim for the Winter Fuel Allowance - you can read up on the support on GOV.UK here.

Cold Weather Payment - £25

The Cold Weather Payment scheme opened this month and will run until the end of March next year. This DWP scheme provides cash payments of £25 when temperatures drop below zero degrees for seven consecutive days. You should receive the money from the DWP automatically within 14 working days, and you can receive multiple payments if there are several stints of cold weather.

To be eligible to get the cash you need to be claiming one of the following six types of benefits:

• Pension Credit- If you do not live in a care home
• 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

Warm Home Discount - £150

The Warm Home Discount isn't technically a payment. Instead, it is a discount on your electricity bill. Those eligible, have the money applied to their energy credit account by their energy supplier. If you are on a prepay meter, then you will be sent a top up voucher worth £150.

The Warm Home Discount - which is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero - runs from October to March, and to be eligible, you need to claim one of the qualifying DWP benefits on August 11 of this year. Under this support, the benefits are split into two groups - and these are:

• Core group 1 - If you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (In Scotland this is the "Core Group")
• Core group 2 - If you’re on a low income, and getting certain means-tested benefits (In Scotland this is the "Broader Group") - These benefits include: 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, and Child or Working Tax Credit.

Your energy supplier must also sign up for the scheme, and the full list of participating suppliers can be found on the government's website. Eligible households are currently being sent letters about the scheme letting them know if they are eligible. If you do not receive a letter by the end of January, then you will need to contact the Government's Warm Home Discount Scheme helpline on 0800 030 9322 before February 29 2024.

DWP Christmas Bonus - £10

The DWP's Christmas Bonus has been an annual payment made to people on certain benefits since 1972. The payment was originally worth £10 and has remained at the same level since bar once. In 2008, the payment was increased to £70 to support people during the financial crash. Nevertheless, the DWP will once again pay the cash this year to people who live or are an "ordinarily resident" in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar receiving one of the qualifying benefits - these include:

• Adult disability payment
• Armed Forces independence payment
• Attendance allowance
• Carer’s allowance
• Child disability payment
• Constant attendance allowance (paid under industrial injuries or war pensions schemes)
• Contribution-based employment and support allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
• Disability living allowance
• Incapacity benefit at the long-term rate
• Industrial death benefit (for widows or widowers)
• Mobility supplement
• Pension credit (the guarantee element)
• Personal independence payment (PIP)
• State pension (including graduated retirement benefit)
• Severe disablement allowance (transitionally protected)
• Unemployability supplement or allowance (paid under industrial injuries or war pensions schemes)
• War disablement pension at state pension age
• War widow’s pension
• Widowed mother’s allowance
• Widowed parent’s allowance
• Widow’s pension