If the temperature drops to 0°C or below for 7 consecutive days in your area, you could be due a Cold Weather Payment of £25. Find out if you’re eligible.
From 1 November, if you receive specific benefits, you could qualify for additional payments each week if there are very cold temperatures in your area. These are known as Cold Weather Payments (not to be confused with the Warm Home Discount).
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What are Cold Weather Payments?
You could qualify for a Cold Weather Payment if you receive certain benefits or get support or your mortgage payments.
The Cold Weather Payment is made if the average temperature in your area is recorded as – or forecast to be – zero degrees celsius (0°C) or below for 7 days consecutively.
The Cold Weather Payments scheme runs from 1 November to 31 March each year, and you could be entitled to £25 for each 7-day period of cold temperature that occurs.
Is it possible to keep your place toasty during a cold snap without spending a fortune? Check out our top energy saving tips to make your home as efficient as it can be.
Where can I get a Cold Weather Payment?
You can potentially qualify for Cold Weather Payments if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
You can’t get a Cold Weather Payment if you live in Scotland. Instead there’s an annual Winter Heating Payment of £50 which you may qualify for instead.
Use the postcode checker to see if Cold Weather Payments are available in your area
You can check if your location qualifies for Cold Weather Payments online. Just pop your postcode into the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) postcode checker to find out if your area is covered.
How do I qualify?
You could receive Cold Weather Payments if you receive:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
The payment may depend on certain conditions, listed below.
Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
You’ll usually receive the payments if you get income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support, plus have any of the following:
- A child with a disability
- A disability or pensioner premium
- Child Tax Credit including a disability or severe disability element
- A child living with you who’s under 5
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You’ll usually receive the payments if you get income-related ESA while being in a work-related activity or support group.
If you’re in neither group, you could also get Cold Weather Payments if you have any of the following:
- A severe or enhanced disability premium
- A pensioner premium
- A child with a disability
- Child Tax Credit that including a disability or severe disability element
- A child living with you who’s under 5
Universal Credit
You’ll usually receive the Cold Weather Payments if you get Universal Credit and:
- You’re not employed or gainfully self-employed*
- Your partner isn’t employed or gainfully self-employed
On this point, you’re likely to be considered gainfully self-employed if:
- This is your main job
- You work regularly
- You expect to make a profit
In addition, one of the following must apply:
- You or your partner have a disability or health condition or disability, with limited capability for work
- You have a child living with your who’s under 5
Regardless of the above conditions, if you claim Universal Credit and have a disabled child, you’ll be eligible for Cold Weather Payments.
Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)
You’ll usually receive Cold Weather Payments if you get Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) and you’re treated as getting a qualifying benefit where one of the following applies:
- A severe or enhanced disability premium
- A pensioner premium
- You have a child with a disability
- You get Child Tax Credit including a disability or severe disability element
- You have a child living with you who’s under 5
When do I get the Cold Weather Payment?
You could be entitled to £25 for every 7 days of consecutive cold weather your area gets. The payments should be processed within 14 days of the period of cold temperatures. These should be paid into the same bank or building society account that your benefit payments go into.
How do I claim the Cold Weather Payment?
There’s no need to claim or apply for Cold Weather Payments. If you’re eligible and qualify for these payments, you’ll be paid this automatically.
The scheme restarted on 1 November 2023. You’ll be able to check if your area is due a payment until 31 March.
Struggling to pay your energy bills? You’re not alone, and can always reach out for help. Find out what help you can get with your energy bills, including which suppliers have hardship grants to help out with winter bills and energy debt.
How can I save energy?
To find out ways to cut down your energy use without resorting to turning your heating off, check out our energy saving tips.
And here are some more useful energy guides:
- Check out our appliance cost calculator to see how household items compare.
- Dishwasher vs hand washing – which is more cost-effective?
- Heated airer or dehumidifier – what’s the best way to dry clothes indoors?
- Heated airer vs tumble dryer: which is cheaper?
- How much does it cost to boil a kettle?
- How much does it cost to run a fan?
- Is it better to heat a room with underfloor heating or a radiator?
- Is it cheaper to turn the heating on low all day or use timed bursts?
- Oven vs microwave – which is cheaper to run?
