The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is launching its annual Cold Weather Payment scheme from November 1, 20261. The scheme pays £25 for each seven-day period of cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 20271. Payments are made in England and Wales; they are not available to households in Scotland1.
A £25 payment is triggered whenever an area is forecast to record average temperatures of or below 0C on seven consecutive days1. Cold Weather Payments are linked to postcode areas, with the weather station closest to where you live used to decide when a payment is triggered1. Eligible households do not need to apply: payments are made automatically by the DWP, into the same bank or building society account as benefit payments, and should arrive within 14 working days of the cold period that triggers them1. More than one payment may be made over the season if the threshold is met on several occasions1.
Four benefits qualify for Cold Weather Payments1:
| Qualifying benefit | Notes given |
|---|---|
| Pension Credit | Listed as a qualifying benefit1 |
| Income-related Employment and Support Allowance | Usually paid to those in a work-related activity group or support group; other conditions can also apply1 |
| Universal Credit | Usually paid where the claimant or partner is not employed or gainfully self-employed, plus a health condition or disability with limited capability for work, or a child under 5 living with them1 |
| Support for Mortgage Interest | Usually paid where the claimant is treated as getting a qualifying benefit, for example through a disability or pensioner premium or a disabled child1 |
Some claimants have additional eligibility requirements, including those with a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under 5 living with them1. The government website has a postcode checker to find out whether a payment is owed1.
Cold Weather Payments are separate from the Winter Fuel Payment, which the same report describes as an annual, tax-free government grant of between £100 and £300 for people over state pension age1. The report also says the government announced in the Autumn Budget that all UK households in council tax bands A to D will receive a one-off £100 payment in January 2027 to help with the rising cost of energy bills1.
The DWP's published statistics cover the previous season, 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026, and give estimated payments for England and Wales, with the data tables updated to 31 March 20262. Equivalent figures for the 2026-27 season have not been reported.
Why it matters for households
For households on the four qualifying benefits, each spell of seven days at or below 0C in their postcode area adds £25 to the money arriving in their benefit account, without a claim. Because payments follow local weather rather than a national rule, households in colder areas can receive several payments in a season while others receive none1. The scheme runs to 31 March 2027, so payments can continue through the winter1. Households in Scotland are outside the scheme1. The £100 council tax band A to D payment announced for January 2027 is a separate measure and is not part of the Cold Weather Payment scheme1.
What happens next
The scheme runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 20271. Payments are triggered by seven-day forecasts at or below 0C and are due within 14 working days of each qualifying cold period1. The DWP's postcode checker can be used to see whether a payment has been triggered for an address1.
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