Cold weather payments are extra one-off payments of £25 which are paid out if the average temperature where you live drops to 0˚C – zero degrees centigrade – or lower seven or more consecutive days.
Last winter, 2023-2024, at least 600,000 cold weather payments were made in England and Wales according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The previous year, an estimated 5.5 million cold weather payments were made to around 3.7 million people.
To get a cold weather payment you will need to be claiming certain benefits. If you live in Scotland cold weather payments have been replaced by the winter heating payment which is paid automatically regardless of weather conditions.
You’ll need to be on the following benefits including:
Pension credit
income support
income-based job seekers’ allowance,
income-related employment and support allowance – in a work-related activity of support group
universal credit
support for mortgage interest.
As well as claiming these benefits you will also will also need to meet other criteria, so if you are getting income support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance, you will also need to have:
a disability or pensioner premium
a child who is disabled
child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
a child under five living with you
If you are on income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) and in a work-related activity group or a work-related support group, you will get cold weather payments.
If you not in either group, then you will still get cold weather payments if you have:
a severe or enhanced disability premium
a pensioner premium
a child who is disabled
child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
a child under five living with you
If you get universal credit and you and your partner are on universal credit and classed as employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’ you will also need to have:
a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)
you have a child under five living with you
a disabled child amount in your claim
If you are getting support for mortgage interest (SMI) you will also need to have one of the following to qualify for cold weather payments:
a severe or enhanced disability premium
a pensioner premium
you have a child who is disabled
a child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
a child under 5 living with you
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) measures temperatures across all UK postcodes. So, if the average temperature in your area is recorded to be, or forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days, then you will automatically receive a cold weather payment.
Temperature is recorded by a weather station nearest to your postcode; you can go online and check what the temperature is by entering the first part of your postcode.
Payments are automatic but if you are over the state pension age and think you may be entitled to a cold weather payment, you will need to contact the Pension helpline.
There are other types of help available during the winter months including:
The warm homes discount scheme
This is a £150 discount on your energy bill and discount is automatically applied to your energy bill between October and March.
The winter fuel payment
This is a one-off annual payment of £200 or £300 to anyone who was born before 25 September 1957. It is only paid to older households and you will need to be claiming pension credit.
