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 Rowland · Updated 21 July 2026 · Sourced to GOV.UK & mygov.scot
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 (Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements, 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 in your postcode area, you can check whether a payment has been triggered near you using the official DWP Cold Weather Payment checker. During a cold snap it's the quickest way to see if a payment is due.
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 to eligible low-income households once a year between December and the end of February. 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. Northern Ireland runs its own cold-weather arrangements.
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.
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.
Sources: GOV.UK — Cold Weather Payment · GOV.UK — Cold Weather Payment: Eligibility · DWP — Cold Weather Payment postcode checker · mygov.scot — Winter Heating Payment. PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
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