The Cold Weather Payment is a government payment to help with heating costs during very cold weather. It is for people on certain benefits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This guide explains in simple language:
- who can get a Cold Weather Payment in winter 2025/2026
- how the temperature rules work
- how much you get and when
- what happens if you live in Scotland
- what to do if your payment is missing
- other help with winter energy bills
It is based on the latest information for the 2025/2026 winter season. Always check the official sites linked in this guide for updates.
Quick facts for winter 2025/2026
- Scheme dates: 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026.
- Amount: £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather.
- Temperature rule: average temperature of 0°C or below for 7 days in a row in your area, recorded or forecast.
- Where it applies: England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Scotland: no Cold Weather Payments – you may get a Winter Heating Payment instead.
- Who it is for: people on certain income-related benefits and Support for Mortgage Interest.
- How you get it: paid automatically if you qualify – you do not need to apply.
- How it is paid: into the same bank or building society account as your benefit or pension.
- Effect on other benefits: it does not affect the amount of other benefits you get.
What is a Cold Weather Payment?
A Cold Weather Payment is a one-off payment of £25 for each 7-day period when it is very cold where you live. It is meant to help with extra heating costs during cold snaps.
You only get a payment if:
- you receive certain qualifying benefits, and
- the temperature in your local area meets the scheme’s rules.
The scheme runs every winter. For 2025/2026, it runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Cold Weather Payments are different from:
- Winter Fuel Payments – annual lump sums mainly for people over State Pension age
- Warm Home Discount – a £150 rebate on electricity bills if you qualify
It is possible to get more than one type of help in the same winter if you meet the rules for each scheme.
Where Cold Weather Payments apply in 2025/2026
England and Wales
In England and Wales, Cold Weather Payments are run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Official guidance and postcode checker:
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland runs its own Cold Weather Payment scheme. The rules are very similar to those in England and Wales – £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March, for people on certain benefits.
Official information:
Scotland
If you live in Scotland, you cannot get Cold Weather Payments.
Instead, you may get:
- Winter Heating Payment – a flat payment of £59.75 for winter 2025/2026 if you receive certain benefits during a set “qualifying week”. It does not depend on how cold it gets.
- Pension Age Winter Heating Payment – a separate annual payment for people over State Pension age in Scotland, replacing Winter Fuel Payment.
Official information for Scotland:
- Winter Heating Payment – mygov.scot
- Pension Age Winter Heating Payment – mygov.scot
- Social Security Scotland
How the temperature rules work
You get a Cold Weather Payment when the weather in your area is very cold for long enough.
The rules are:
- The average temperature for your area must be 0°C or below.
- It must be that cold for 7 days in a row.
- It can be based on the temperature that is recorded, or what is forecast.
Your area is linked to a local weather station. The government uses data from the Met Office for that station.
To see if your area has triggered a payment, use the official postcode checker:
You can get more than one payment in a winter if the temperature meets the rules more than once. There is no set maximum number of payments.
How much you get and when
Amount
For winter 2025/2026 you get:
- £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather that meets the rules.
If your area has two qualifying 7-day periods, you would get:
- £25 + £25 = £50
There is no upper limit on how many Cold Weather Payments you can get in one winter, as long as each 7-day period meets the temperature rules.
Payment dates
The Cold Weather Payment scheme runs from:
- 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026.
You usually get the money:
- within 14 working days of the end of each qualifying 7-day cold period
- paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit or pension
On your bank statement, the payment might appear with a note such as:
- Your NI number + “DWP CWP” (England and Wales)
- Your NI number + “DFC CWP” (Northern Ireland)
Who can get a Cold Weather Payment?
You may get a Cold Weather Payment if:
- you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and
- you receive at least one of these qualifying benefits, and
- you meet the extra rules for that benefit.
The qualifying benefits are:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
You do not get Cold Weather Payments just for getting benefits like:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- New Style JSA or New Style ESA
- Tax Credits on their own
However, you may still qualify if you also receive one of the income-related benefits listed above and meet the extra rules.
Detailed eligibility by benefit
Pension Credit
You will usually get Cold Weather Payments if:
- you receive Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit, Savings Credit, or both), and
- you do not live in a care home.
If you are over State Pension age and on a low income, it is important to check if you can get Pension Credit. It can give you extra money and unlock help like Cold Weather Payments.
Find out more:
Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you receive Income Support or income-based JSA and one of these applies:
- you receive a disability premium or pensioner premium
- you have a child who is disabled
- you receive Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
- you have a child under 5 living with you
If you have a baby or a child under 5 comes to live with you, you must tell Jobcentre Plus. If you do not, you might miss out on Cold Weather Payments even if the weather is cold enough.
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you get income-related ESA and:
- you are in the support group or the work-related activity group, or
- you receive a severe or enhanced disability premium, or
- you receive a pensioner premium, or
- you have a child who is disabled, or
- you receive Child Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element, or
- you have a child under 5 living with you.
Universal Credit
You may get Cold Weather Payments if all these are true:
- you receive Universal Credit, and
- you and your partner (if you have one) are not employed or self-employed
and one of the following also applies:
- you have a child under 5 living with you, or
- you have a health condition or disability and have “limited capability for work” (with or without work-related activity), or
- you get a disabled child amount in your claim (in this case you can be working and still qualify).
If you have a baby, or a child under 5 comes to live with you, update your Universal Credit online journal or call the helpline. This can change whether you qualify for Cold Weather Payments.
More help with Universal Credit:
Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you receive Support for Mortgage Interest and you are treated as getting one of the qualifying benefits, and one of the following applies:
- you receive a severe or enhanced disability premium
- you receive a pensioner premium
- you have a child who is disabled
- you receive Child Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
- you have a child under 5 living with you
In some cases you can be “treated as” getting a qualifying benefit, even if your income is just above the normal limit. The DWP explains this in your benefit letter.
Special situations
If you live in a care home
In most cases, you will not get Cold Weather Payments if you live in a care home, even if you receive a qualifying benefit. Check any benefit letters you receive and speak to an advice agency if you are unsure.
If you go into hospital
Going into hospital can affect some benefits, which can affect Cold Weather Payments.
You should tell:
- the Pension Service if you receive Pension Credit
- Jobcentre Plus if you receive Income Support, JSA, ESA or SMI
- the Universal Credit service (update your journal or call the helpline) if you receive Universal Credit
Tell them when you go into hospital and when you leave. They will check how this affects your benefits and any Cold Weather Payments.
If you live in Scotland but your family is elsewhere
If you live in Scotland, you do not get Cold Weather Payments. You may get Winter Heating Payment or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead.
If a family member lives in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and receives a qualifying benefit there, they may still get Cold Weather Payments even if you do not.
Do you need to apply?
No. If you qualify, you are paid automatically.
You do not need to:
- fill in a claim form
- phone to apply (except in special cases)
- chase every time the weather is cold
The DWP (or the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland) checks:
- who was receiving the qualifying benefits in each area during the cold period
- which postcodes met the temperature rules
They then send payments automatically to people who qualify.
You do need to tell your benefit office if:
- you have a baby
- a child under 5 comes to live with you
- you move house, especially to a different postcode area or country (for example from England to Scotland)
- you go into or leave a hospital or care home
What to do if you think a payment is missing
If you think you should have had a Cold Weather Payment but did not:
- Use the postcode checker to confirm there was a qualifying cold period for your postcode:
- Check your bank or building society statements for a payment with “CWP” in the reference.
- If the checker shows a payment should have been made and you still cannot see it, contact:
- your Pension Service if you receive Pension Credit
- Jobcentre Plus if you receive Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA or SMI
- the Universal Credit helpline or your online journal if you receive Universal Credit
Explain that there has been a qualifying Cold Weather Payment for your postcode and you think you should have had it. Keep any letters and screenshots you have as evidence.
Cold Weather Payment vs other winter help
Cold Weather Payments are only one part of the help available for winter fuel costs. You may also be able to get:
Winter Fuel Payment (England and Wales)
If you are over State Pension age and live in England or Wales, you may get an annual Winter Fuel Payment to help with heating costs. This is a lump sum, separate from Cold Weather Payments.
Find out more:
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (Scotland)
If you are over State Pension age and live in Scotland, you may get a Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead of Winter Fuel Payment.
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount is usually a £150 rebate on your electricity (or sometimes gas) bill if you qualify.
Household Support Fund and local welfare schemes
Local councils in England and some devolved government schemes may offer extra crisis help with fuel bills, food and essentials.
- Help with the cost of living – GOV.UK
- Check your local council website for “welfare assistance” or “hardship fund”.
Energy supplier hardship funds
Some energy companies have hardship funds or grants if you are in arrears or struggling to pay. Check your supplier’s website or call them and ask about:
- “hardship fund”
- “support fund”
- “grant scheme”
Free and independent money and energy advice
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Cold Weather Payment if I am working?
Yes, in some cases. For example, you might still qualify if you receive Universal Credit and have a disabled child element in your claim, even if you are employed. For most other benefits, Cold Weather Payments are linked to income-related benefits where you are not working or have a low income.
Can I get Cold Weather Payments on PIP or DLA?
No, not on their own. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) do not qualify you directly for Cold Weather Payments. However, many people on PIP or DLA also receive income-related benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support, ESA or Universal Credit. If you receive those and meet the extra rules, you may get a Cold Weather Payment.
Is there a maximum number of Cold Weather Payments I can get in one winter?
There is no fixed maximum. If your area has several separate 7-day periods where the average temperature is 0°C or below, and you meet the benefit rules for each period, you will get a payment for each qualifying period.
Can Cold Weather Payments be backdated?
If the system shows that your area met the temperature rule and you were receiving a qualifying benefit at that time, you should get the payment automatically. If you think you missed a payment, contact your Pension Service, Jobcentre Plus or Universal Credit helpline. They can check and arrange any payments you are owed.
Does a Cold Weather Payment affect my tax or other benefits?
No. Cold Weather Payments are extra help. They do not reduce the amount of other benefits you receive and they are not treated as taxable income.
What if I move house during the winter?
If you move to a new postcode, the weather station used for your Cold Weather Payments may change. Tell your benefit office or update your Universal Credit account as soon as you move. Payments will be based on the postcode where you actually live during each cold spell.
How can I check what help I am missing?
Use a benefit calculator to check what you can claim. These tools are free and anonymous:
Key steps to take now
To make sure you are ready for winter 2025/2026:
- Check if you can claim a qualifying benefit such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit.
- Tell your benefit office if:
- you have a baby
- a child under 5 moves in
- you move house, go into hospital or a care home
- Save links to the postcode checkers so you can quickly see if your area has triggered a payment.
- Look into other help such as Winter Fuel Payment, Warm Home Discount and local hardship schemes.
If you are unsure, speak to Citizens Advice, MoneyHelper or a local advice agency. They can help you understand your rights and make sure you do not miss out on money you are entitled to.