Cold Weather Payment: £25 when it turns freezing (and Scotland's £62 alternative)
How the £25 Cold Weather Payment works, who qualifies, how to check if your area has triggered one — and why Scotland gets a guaranteed £62 Winter Heating Payment instead.
By Tom Calder · Updated 29 September 2026 · Sourced to GOV.UK & mygov.scot
Earlier changes
23 Sept Added our postcode checker, which shows your DWP weather station and how many payments it has triggered.
What the Cold Weather Payment is
The Cold Weather Payment is £25 for each seven-day period when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees or below. It runs each winter from 1 November to 31 March — so for this coming winter, 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027.
You don't apply: if you're eligible it's paid automatically after a cold spell triggers in your postcode area. It covers England and Wales. Northern Ireland runs the same £25 scheme separately, and Scotland has a different payment instead (both below).
Who qualifies, and how to check your area
You may be eligible if you're getting one of a few qualifying benefits: Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, or Support for Mortgage Interest — with some extra conditions within each (particularly Universal Credit). If you already get Pension Credit, you're generally covered automatically.
Because payments are triggered by temperature at a weather station, the quickest check is our Cold Weather Payment checker: put in your postcode to see which of DWP's 71 stations covers you and how many payments it has triggered this winter and last. Then confirm on the official DWP Cold Weather Payment checker, which is the final word during a cold snap.
NewSee this for your own homeHome Alerts: your postcode's power cuts, warnings and floods, on one screen. Free for your own home. Sign up in a minute.Start free →Northern Ireland: the same £25 payment
Northern Ireland runs its own Cold Weather Payment, and it works the same way. nidirect says the scheme will reopen on 1 November 2026 and run to 31 March 2027, paying £25.00 for each seven-day period when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.
The qualifying benefits are the same: Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest, with extra conditions for each except Pension Credit. You don't apply. It's paid automatically into the account your benefits go to, and nidirect says you should get it within 14 working days of the cold spell. You won't be sent a text or email asking for your bank details. If you think you missed one, tell the Northern Ireland Pension Centre or your Jobs and Benefits office, or add a note to your Universal Credit journal.
Scotland: a guaranteed payment instead
Scotland has replaced the Cold Weather Payment with the Winter Heating Payment — and crucially it doesn't depend on how cold it gets. It's a flat £62.00 for 2026/27, paid automatically once a year to eligible low-income households: mygov.scot says it's paid from December and through winter. Whether you get it depends on the qualifying benefits you had during the qualifying week, which this year is 2 to 8 November 2026. So where the England and Wales payment is a gamble on the weather, Scotland's is guaranteed.
Scotland also has a separate Child Winter Heating Payment (£265.50 for 2026/27) for eligible disabled children and young people.
Common questions
How much is a Cold Weather Payment?
£25 for each seven-day period when the average temperature in your area is zero degrees Celsius or below, during the 1 November to 31 March season. You can receive more than one payment in a cold winter.
Do I have to apply for a Cold Weather Payment?
No — it's paid automatically to eligible people after a cold spell triggers in their postcode area. Anyone asking you to apply or share bank details is not genuine.
How do I know if my area has triggered a Cold Weather Payment?
Use the official DWP Cold Weather Payment postcode checker. It tells you whether a qualifying cold spell has been recorded or forecast for your area.
Who qualifies for a Cold Weather Payment?
You may be eligible if you receive Pension Credit, income-related ESA, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest, subject to some extra conditions (especially within Universal Credit). Pension Credit recipients are generally covered automatically.
Does Northern Ireland get Cold Weather Payments?
Yes. Northern Ireland runs the same £25 scheme from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 for people on Pension Credit, income-related ESA, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest who meet the conditions. It's paid automatically, so you don't need to apply.
What happens in Scotland?
Scotland doesn't use the Cold Weather Payment. Instead it pays a guaranteed Winter Heating Payment — £62.00 for 2026/27 — automatically to eligible low-income households, regardless of the temperature. It's paid from December and through winter, based on the qualifying week of 2 to 8 November 2026.
Sources (6)
- GOV.UK — Cold Weather Payment
- GOV.UK — Cold Weather Payment: Eligibility
- DWP — Cold Weather Payment postcode checker
- mygov.scot — Winter Heating Payment
- nidirect — Cold Weather Payment, scheme reopens 1 November 2026 (read 29 September 2026)
- mygov.scot — Winter Heating Payment: qualifying benefits and qualifying week (last updated 20 February 2026)
PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
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