7 consecutive days at or below 0°C triggers a payment
£25 per qualifying week
What is the Cold Weather Payment?
The Cold Weather Payment is a government scheme that pays £25 for every 7-day period of very cold weather to people on certain qualifying benefits. The payment is designed to help vulnerable households — particularly older people, families with young children, and people with long-term health conditions — cover the extra cost of heating during exceptionally cold spells.
Unlike the Winter Fuel Payment (an annual fixed amount) or the Warm Home Discount (a bill credit), the Cold Weather Payment is weather-dependent and variable. In a cold winter you might receive multiple payments; in a mild winter you may receive none.
The scheme runs from 1 November to 31 March each year. All payments are made automatically — you never need to claim.
0°C or below
Average temperature at your local weather station for 7 consecutive days (recorded or forecast to be at or below freezing)
Check if You Are Likely to Qualify
You qualify for Cold Weather Payments if you are receiving one of the benefits listed below. Enter your postcode to see how many payments may have been triggered in your area this winter. Note: for the official GOV.UK checker, visit gov.uk/cold-weather-payment.
Official check: To check whether your area has triggered a Cold Weather Payment this winter, visit gov.uk/cold-weather-payment and enter your postcode. This links your postcode to the correct Met Office weather station and shows any payments triggered.
Which Benefits Qualify?
To receive Cold Weather Payments, you must be receiving at least one of the following benefits. Note that for some benefits, additional qualifying conditions apply:
Pension Credit
Qualifies automatically — no additional conditions required. This is the simplest qualifying route for pensioners.
Universal Credit
Qualifies if: you have a child under 5, OR you have a limited capability for work (or work-related activity) element in your UC award.
Income-related ESA
Qualifies if you are in the support group, work-related activity group, or have a severe or enhanced disability premium.
Income-based JSA
Qualifies if you have a disability or severe disability premium, or you have a child or young person in your household.
Income Support
Qualifies if you have a disability or severe disability premium, or a child under 5 in your household.
Support for Mortgage Interest
Qualifies if you also receive Pension Credit or another qualifying benefit alongside SMI.
Important: Receiving a benefit alone is not always enough. Check the specific conditions for Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, and Income Support carefully. Pension Credit recipients automatically qualify without additional conditions.
How the Payment Trigger Works
The Met Office and DWP work together to monitor temperatures across England and Wales. Each postcode area in the UK is linked to a specific weather station. When that weather station records (or forecasts) an average temperature of 0°C or below for seven consecutive days, a Cold Weather Payment is triggered for all eligible benefit claimants in that area.
The Process Step by Step
Cold spell begins — your local weather station begins recording daily average temperatures at or near 0°C
Day 7 reached — the 7-day average meets the 0°C threshold (or forecast to do so)
DWP identifies eligible claimants — automatically matched against benefit data for your postcode area
Payment issued — £25 paid directly to your bank account within 14 working days of the qualifying period ending
Multiple cold spells — each separate qualifying 7-day period triggers an additional £25 payment
No action needed: You will never need to apply for or claim Cold Weather Payments. The entire process is automatic. The first sign you may receive is a payment appearing in your bank account, usually labelled "DWP CWP" or similar.
Weather Stations and Why Your Area Matters
The UK has hundreds of Met Office weather stations. Your postcode determines which weather station is used to assess your Cold Weather Payment eligibility. This means two people living a few miles apart could receive different outcomes — one may get a payment while the other does not, if their postcodes are linked to different weather stations that recorded different temperatures.
Common Questions About Weather Stations
My area was very cold but I didn't get a payment — this is usually because the specific weather station linked to your postcode did not record a 7-day average at or below 0°C, even though your local conditions may have felt colder.
I live in a rural upland area — you may be linked to a lowland weather station that records milder temperatures than your actual location experiences.
Can I change my weather station? — No. Your weather station is fixed based on your postcode and cannot be changed. This is an acknowledged limitation of the scheme.
To find which weather station covers your postcode and see if any payments have been triggered this season, use the official GOV.UK Cold Weather Payment checker: gov.uk/cold-weather-payment.
How Cold Weather Payment Compares to Other Winter Energy Help
❄
Cold Weather Payment
£25 per qualifying cold week | Nov–Mar | Automatic | Must receive qualifying benefit | Triggered by weather
🔥
Winter Fuel Payment
£200 or £300 | Annual | Automatic | Must receive Pension Credit or qualifying benefit | Fixed annual payment
⚡
Warm Home Discount
£150 electricity bill credit | Oct–Mar | Automatic (core) or apply | Must receive Pension Credit (core) or low income (broader)
You can receive all three schemes simultaneously if you meet the eligibility criteria for each. They are entirely independent of one another.
Can You Receive All Three in One Winter?
Yes. If you are a Pension Credit recipient who is over 66 and your area experiences several cold spells, you could potentially receive:
Winter Fuel Payment: £200 or £300 (one-off)
Warm Home Discount: £150 (one-off electricity credit)
Cold Weather Payments: £25 × number of qualifying cold weeks (could be 1–10+ in a harsh winter)
In a severe winter with 8 cold weeks, that's potentially £200–£300 + £150 + £200 = up to £650+ in winter energy support.
Scotland — Cold Spell Heating Assistance
Scotland has its own equivalent payment called Cold Spell Heating Assistance, administered by Social Security Scotland rather than DWP. This replaced the Cold Weather Payment for Scottish residents from 2019.
The eligibility criteria and triggering conditions may differ from the England and Wales Cold Weather Payment. The amount is also £25 per qualifying cold spell period.
Contact Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 (free) or visit mygov.scot for the most up-to-date information about Scotland-specific cold weather support.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has its own Cold Weather Payment scheme administered by the Department for Communities. The eligibility criteria closely mirror those in England and Wales. Contact the NI Benefits Enquiry Line on 0800 220 674 for information.
What to Do if You Think You Missed a Payment
If you believe your area experienced a qualifying cold spell and you did not receive a payment — and you receive one of the qualifying benefits — take the following steps:
Step 1: Check the official GOV.UK Cold Weather Payment checker using your postcode to confirm whether a payment was triggered for your area
Step 2: Allow up to 14 working days after the end of the qualifying period for payment to reach your bank account
Step 3: If a payment was triggered but you haven't received it after 14 working days, contact the DWP Cold Weather Payment helpline
Step 4: If you are not on a qualifying benefit but believe you may be eligible, contact Citizens Advice or call the Universal Credit helpline (0800 328 5644) or Pension Credit line (0800 99 1234)
Not receiving qualifying benefits? If you are not currently receiving any qualifying benefit, check whether you are eligible for Pension Credit. Pension Credit recipients qualify automatically for Cold Weather Payments and is the simplest qualifying route for people over State Pension Age. Call 0800 99 1234 (free) to check your Pension Credit eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Cold Weather Payment triggered?
The Cold Weather Payment is triggered when the weather station linked to your postcode records or forecasts a 7-day average temperature of 0°C or below. DWP monitors Met Office data around the clock from 1 November to 31 March. When a trigger occurs, DWP automatically identifies all eligible benefit claimants in the affected area and issues payments — you do not need to do anything to prompt or claim the payment.
How much is the Cold Weather Payment?
The Cold Weather Payment is £25 for each qualifying 7-day cold period. If your area experiences three separate cold spells during the winter, you receive three payments of £25 each (total: £75). There is no maximum number of payments per winter — if ten cold spells qualify, you receive £250. The amount has been £25 since 2012 and is not automatically uprated with inflation, though the government can change it.
Which benefits qualify for Cold Weather Payment?
You qualify if you receive Pension Credit (automatically), Universal Credit with a child under 5 or limited capability for work, income-related ESA (in certain groups), income-based JSA (with disability premium or dependent children), Income Support (with disability premium or child under 5), or Support for Mortgage Interest alongside a qualifying benefit. The exact conditions for each benefit vary, so check the gov.uk Cold Weather Payment page for full details.
Do I need to claim Cold Weather Payment?
No — Cold Weather Payments are entirely automatic. DWP uses weather data and benefit records to identify eligible households and issue payments without any claim being made. Payments typically reach your bank account within 14 working days of a qualifying cold period ending. If you believe you should have received a payment but didn't receive it, contact DWP to query the missing payment.
Why might someone in a cold area not get the payment?
The Cold Weather Payment is based on the weather station assigned to your postcode, not your actual local conditions. Your assigned weather station may record a slightly warmer temperature than your locality, and if the 7-day average at that station doesn't reach 0°C, no payment is triggered — even if your garden was frozen solid. This is a known limitation. Different postcode areas within the same town can be linked to different weather stations. Use the GOV.UK postcode checker to see which station covers your area.
Is there a Cold Weather Payment equivalent in Scotland?
Yes. Scotland has the Cold Spell Heating Assistance payment, administered by Social Security Scotland. This replaced the DWP Cold Weather Payment for Scottish claimants and operates under Scottish Government rules. The payment amount (£25 per cold spell) is the same. Contact Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222 or visit mygov.scot for Scotland-specific information.
Can I receive Cold Weather Payment alongside Winter Fuel Payment and Warm Home Discount?
Yes — all three schemes are entirely separate. Cold Weather Payment is weather-triggered and paid automatically when cold conditions occur. Winter Fuel Payment is a fixed annual payment for those receiving qualifying benefits (from 2024/25). Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 electricity bill credit. Meeting the eligibility for one does not prevent you from receiving the others. A Pension Credit recipient in a cold area could receive all three types of support in the same winter.
MB
Mustafa Bilgic
Financial Content Writer | Winter Benefits & Energy Support Specialist
Updated: 20 February 2026 | Published: 1 January 2025