Cold Weather Payment: when it triggers and how much you get
This scheme is open and runs until 31 March 2026.
England and Wales only.
Cold Weather Payment is a small automatic payment that arrives whenever the weather in your area turns very cold for a stretch of days, on top of any benefits you already get. Unlike Winter Fuel Payment, it is not paid once a winter — you can get it several times, or not at all, depending on the weather where you live.
“You'll get GBP 25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026. If you live in Scotland you cannot get Cold Weather Payments. You might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead.”
The temperature trigger
“You'll get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.”
That measurement is taken against your local weather station, not a single national figure, so different parts of the country trigger a payment on different weeks depending on the winter. GOV.UK provides a postcode checker so you can see whether a period of cold weather in your area has triggered, or is forecast to trigger, a payment.
Because the trigger is about a run of seven consecutive cold days rather than a single freezing night, a cold snap that breaks after four or five days does not qualify on its own, even if it feels harsh at the time.
GOV.UK publishes one postcode checker for England and Wales and a separate one for Northern Ireland. If you are unsure which applies to you, use the checker for the part of the UK you live in rather than assuming either one covers the whole country.
How much you get
The payment is a flat amount for every qualifying 7-day period, not a one-off figure for the whole winter. If several separate cold periods trigger in your area across the season, you can be paid more than once.
| Cold Weather Payment per 7-day period | £25 |
|---|
GOV.UK’s qualifying window for the current scheme runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026, so a run of cold weather outside that window does not count, even if you otherwise meet the benefit conditions.
Who qualifies
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you receive Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, or Support for Mortgage Interest, but the detail differs by benefit.
- Pension Credit: you will usually get Cold Weather Payments automatically.
- Income-related ESA: usually paid if you are in a work-related activity group or support group, or if you have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under 5 living with you.
- Universal Credit: usually paid if neither you nor your partner are employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’, and either you have limited capability for work or a child under 5 lives with you, or you have a disabled child amount in your claim.
- Support for Mortgage Interest: usually paid if you are treated as getting a qualifying benefit, for example because your income was too high to actually receive it despite applying.
It is automatic — but tell them about a new baby
You do not need to apply for a Cold Weather Payment. If you are eligible, GOV.UK pays it automatically once a qualifying period is confirmed, into the same account as your other benefit payments, usually within 14 working days of the cold period ending.
The one thing you do need to report is a change that makes you newly eligible: having a baby, or a child under 5 coming to live with you, if you get Universal Credit or income-related ESA. GOV.UK is explicit that you will not automatically get Cold Weather Payments if you do not report this — it does not detect the change on its own.
A stay in hospital can also affect your payment, so GOV.UK asks you to tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if that happens too.
If you think you should have been paid and were not, GOV.UK’s advice depends on which benefit you claim: Universal Credit claimants are asked to sign in and add a note to their journal, while people on Pension Credit or income-related ESA are asked to contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus directly. If you do not have an online account for Universal Credit, ring the helpline number on your Universal Credit letters instead.
If you live in Scotland
“If you live in Scotland you cannot get Cold Weather Payments. You might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead.”
The Scottish equivalent, Winter Heating Payment, works differently: GOV.UK describes it as an annual payment that is not dependent on the weather in your area, in contrast to Cold Weather Payment’s trigger-by-trigger structure. If you live in Scotland, check with Social Security Scotland rather than expecting the temperature checker on this page to apply to you.
Common questions
What triggers a Cold Weather Payment?
A payment triggers when the average temperature in your area is recorded, or forecast, at zero degrees celsius or below for 7 consecutive days. GOV.UK provides a postcode checker so you can see whether this has happened, or is forecast, where you live.
How much is a Cold Weather Payment?
It is a fixed amount for each qualifying 7-day period, and you can be paid more than once in a winter if several separate cold periods trigger in your area.
Do I need to apply for a Cold Weather Payment?
No. If you already get a qualifying benefit, you are paid automatically once a cold period is confirmed, usually within 14 working days, into the same account your benefit is paid into.
Which benefits qualify for Cold Weather Payments?
Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest can all qualify, though the exact conditions differ between them — for example, Universal Credit claimants usually need to have limited capability for work or a child under 5.
What do I need to report to keep getting Cold Weather Payments?
If you get Universal Credit or income-related ESA, you need to report having a baby or a child under 5 coming to live with you, since this can make you newly eligible. GOV.UK says you will not automatically get the payment if you do not report the change.
Can I get Cold Weather Payment in Scotland?
No. If you live in Scotland you cannot get Cold Weather Payment. You may instead get Winter Heating Payment, an annual payment that does not depend on the weather in your area.
Related guides
Information on this page was checked against the official guidance on 25 August 2026. The source page was last updated on 1 November 2024.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Money Decisions UK is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not arrange, recommend or introduce any credit, debt or mortgage product.