PEOPLE on the lowest incomes in Tynedale will receive a £25 Cold Weather Payment as temperatures have plummeted.

The Government payments have been triggered for eligible households in areas where the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days.

The bank top-up of £25 will be in eligible people’s bank account within 14 days of the trigger, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.

READ MORE: See where the nearest warm spaces you can go to are in Northumberland

People claiming pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, universal credit and support for mortgage interest could be eligible for the cold weather payments, DWP guidance says.

To check if a payment is due in your area, visit 

coldweatherpayments.dwp.gov.uk/search.php

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) last week issued a Level 3 cold weather alert covering England until Monday of this week.

A DWP spokesman said: "These additional payments provide support every year to help people experiencing the coldest weather.

"Cold weather payments can be triggered right through to the end of March, giving people facing disproportionately cold weather that extra reassurance over the chillier months."

For full details on eligibility, visit https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility