Who Gets the Cold Weather Payment and When Is It Paid?

Cold Weather Payment explained

The Cold Weather Payment is a £25 payment for each qualifying seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. To qualify, the average temperature in your area must be recorded or forecast to be 0°C or below for seven consecutive days.

Who qualifies

• Pension Credit recipients
• Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) recipients who meet the additional qualifying conditions
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) recipients who meet the relevant conditions
• Universal Credit recipients who meet the eligibility rules, including certain households with a health condition, disability or a child under 5
• Some people receiving Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) who meet the qualifying conditions

How it works

The Cold Weather Payment is automatic — you don’t normally need to apply. The trigger is based on the temperature data from the weather station linked to your postcode, with a payment made after a qualifying seven-day period. You should normally receive the £25 payment within 14 working days of the cold weather trigger.

Go to gov.uk/cold-weather-payment and enter your postcode to check whether a Cold Weather Payment has been triggered in your area. Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland, because eligible households may receive a Winter Heating Payment instead.