Almost 1.5 million households have received the payment since December
Cold Weather Payments are meant to help vulnerable households experiencing periods of extreme weather during the winter period. The scheme will be closing in a matter of weeks but the government has now revealed over £35million has already been paid out this winter season.
Some postcodes of the nearly 800 that have been triggered even received more than one payment as Storm Goretti brough freezing temperatures and snow in the early weeks of 2026. While most people will receive the payments automatically, some may have to claim depending on where they live and how they are eligible for the payments.
To be eligible for the payment, you must be receiving at least one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
Some of these benefits have additional criteria that people will have to meet in order to be eligible. For example those receiving JSA will need to be getting a disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled or a child under the age of five living with them in order to be eligible.
People qualifying through ESA will need to be in a work-related activity group or support group. If not, they’ll need to have one of the following:
- a severe or enhanced disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- a child who is disabled
- a child under 5 living with you
People on Universal Credit who are not employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’ will usually receive the benefit. Provided that either you or your partner has a health condition and limited capability for work or a child under five living with you.
If you have a disabled child amount in your claim, you will be eligible for Cold Weather Payments even if you are employed or self-employed.
You’ll qualify through Support for Mortgage Interest if you have one of the following:
- a severe or enhanced disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- a child who is disabled
- a child under 5 living with you
In most cases you will not need to apply or claim the benefit. This is unless you qualify because you have had a baby or have a child under five come to live with you.
In this instance you’ll need to tell the Jobcentre Plus if you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance as you will not automatically get Cold Weather Payments if you do not.
The scheme provides £25 for every seven-day period that an area experiences or is forecast to have freezing temperatures. The payments should be made automatically, with eligible people receiving the payment within 14 days of their postcode experiencing extreme weather.
Anyone who believes they are eligible but haven’t received the payment should contact the Pension Service, Jobcentre Plus or add a note to their Universal Credit journal.
Throughout the Cold Weather Payment season, the DWP operates a postcode checker allowing people to see if their postcode has experienced low enough temperatures to receive a payment.
Northern Ireland runs a separate scheme which mirrors the scheme for England and Wales. Social Security Scotland has introduced Winter Heating Payment, its replacement for Cold Weather Payment, for eligible claimants living in Scotland from 1 November 2022.
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