What's changingBenefits & entitlements
Cold Weather Payments start on 1 November. Who gets £25 for each freezing week
People on Pension Credit and some on Universal Credit, ESA or Support for Mortgage Interest get £25 automatically for each freezing week until the end of March. Some families need to report a young child first.
Published 28 October 2026Last checked 28 October 2026England, Wales, Northern IrelandFrom Department for Work and Pensions
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What's happening
Cold Weather Payments start again on Sunday 1 November. If you get certain benefits, you'll be paid £25 automatically for each 7-day spell when your area's average temperature is recorded or forecast at zero degrees or below. The scheme runs to 31 March 2027 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has its own Winter Heating Payment instead.
The question: Who qualifies for Cold Weather Payments this winter, how much are they, and is there anything I need to do?
This applies to you if…
- You get Pension Credit
- Or you get Universal Credit, no one on your claim is employed or gainfully self-employed, and either someone has limited capability for work or you have a child under 5 living with you
- Or your Universal Credit includes a disabled child amount (working or not)
- Or you get income-related ESA in the support group or work-related activity group, or with certain premiums or a child under 5 or a disabled child
- Or you get Support for Mortgage Interest with a disability or pensioner premium, a disabled child or a child under 5
Not for you if…
- People who live in Scotland, where the Winter Heating Payment replaces it
- People whose only winter help is the Winter Fuel Payment, which is a separate scheme
- Universal Credit claimants who are working, unless the claim includes a disabled child amount
What it's worth
Paid when the average temperature for your area's weather station is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 days in a row
Tax year Winter 2026 to 2027 (1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027)
A winter with three cold spells
- Three separate 7-day spells at or below zero in your area
- 3 x £25 = £75
£75 for the winter
Illustrative calc. Many areas get no payments in a mild winter, and colder areas can get several.
How to do it
- 1
Check you're on a qualifying benefit
Pension Credit usually qualifies on its own. For Universal Credit, ESA or Support for Mortgage Interest, check the extra conditions on GOV.UK.
Takes about 5 minutes
- 2
Report a new baby or a child under 5 joining your home
On Universal Credit, add it to your online account or call the helpline. On ESA, tell Jobcentre Plus. You won't get the payment automatically if you don't.
Takes about 10 minutes
- 3
Check if your postcode is due a payment
The DWP postcode checker shows whether a cold spell has triggered a payment in your area. Northern Ireland has its own checker on nidirect.
Takes about 2 minutes
- 4
Payments should usually reach the account your benefit goes into within 14 working days of the cold spell. If not, tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus, or add a note to your Universal Credit journal.
Deadline
Scheme runs 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 — 31 March 2027 (in 154 days)
You don't apply, so there is no claim deadline. Reporting a child under 5 promptly matters.
The catches
It depends on the weather
Nobody is guaranteed a payment. In a mild winter your area may not trigger any.
Working can stop it on Universal Credit
If you or your partner are employed or gainfully self-employed, you usually won't qualify, unless your claim includes a disabled child amount.
Hospital stays
Tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you go into hospital, as this could affect your payment.
Watch out for scam messages
You never need to apply. In Northern Ireland, nidirect says you won't be sent a text or email asking for bank details. Treat any such message as a scam.
Illustrative example
Asha, on Universal Credit with a toddler
Asha isn't working and gets Universal Credit. Her son is 2. She lives in the north of England.
- She meets the conditions because she isn't working and has a child under 5 living with her
- In January her area's weather station records 7 days averaging below zero
- £25 is paid into her bank account, usually within 14 working days
If her area had two cold spells that winter, she'd get £50 without applying.
Illustrative only. Asha is a made-up example.
What this means for…
- State Pension age or over: If you get Pension Credit, you'll usually get £25 for each cold spell without applying.
- Children under 5: On Universal Credit or ESA and not working, a child under 5 can make you eligible, but you must report the child.
- Get benefits: Check whether your benefit and circumstances qualify; payment is automatic if they do.
Common misreadings
You might hear: I have to apply for Cold Weather Payments.
Actually: You don't. If you qualify, it's paid automatically into the account your benefit goes into.
You might hear: It's the same as the Winter Fuel Payment.
Actually: They are different schemes. For winter 2026 to 2027 the Winter Fuel Payment is for people born on or before 27 June 1960. Cold Weather Payments depend on certain benefits and on how cold it gets locally.
You might hear: Everyone on Universal Credit gets it.
Actually: Only some do. Usually no one on the claim can be working, and there must be limited capability for work or a child under 5, unless there's a disabled child amount.
Where the UK nations differ
- England and Wales
- £25 per 7-day cold spell from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. Check your postcode on the DWP checker.
- Northern Ireland
- Same amount and dates. Use the nidirect checker and contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre or your local Jobs and Benefits office.
- Scotland
- You can't get Cold Weather Payments. You might get a yearly Winter Heating Payment instead, paid whatever the weather. Check mygov.scot for amounts and rules.
What you could do
get Universal Credit or ESA and had a baby, or a child under 5 moved in
Report it now so Cold Weather Payments can be paid automatically
are over State Pension age on a low income and don't get Pension Credit
Check if you can claim Pension Credit, which also usually brings Cold Weather Payments
think a cold spell hit your area but no payment came
Wait 14 working days, then contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus
Timeline
1 November 2026
Cold Weather Payment scheme starts for winter 2026 to 2027
31 March 2027
Cold Weather Payment scheme ends
The detail
The rules
- £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027.
- Triggered when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
- Qualifying benefits: Pension Credit, income-related ESA, Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest, each with conditions.
- You're likely to be treated as gainfully self-employed if self-employment is your main job, you work regularly and you expect to make a profit.
- Usually paid within 14 working days into the same account as your benefit.
- For Support for Mortgage Interest, you're usually treated as getting a qualifying benefit even if you applied but weren't paid because your income was too high.
References
- GOV.UK Cold Weather Payment guide: Amounts, dates, eligibility, reporting changes and payment timing
- nidirect Cold Weather Payment: Northern Ireland rules and contact points
Words explained
- Cold spell
- Seven days in a row when the average temperature at your local weather station is zero degrees or below, recorded or forecast.
- Limited capability for work
- A finding after a health assessment that a health condition or disability limits the work you can do.
- Support for Mortgage Interest
- A government loan to help pay the interest on a mortgage if you get certain benefits.
- Disabled child amount
- An extra amount in a Universal Credit claim for a child who is disabled.
In short
From 1 November, people on Pension Credit and some on Universal Credit, ESA or Support for Mortgage Interest get £25 for each freezing week, paid automatically. If you're on Universal Credit or ESA and have a new baby or a child under 5 at home, report it now. Scotland has a separate payment.
Related dates
- 1 Nov Cold Weather Payment period startsChange · in 4 days
- 31 Mar Cold Weather Payment period endsChange · in 154 days
Sources
- Cold Weather Payment, GOV.UK (DWP) (2026-10-28)
- Cold Weather Payment: eligibility, GOV.UK (DWP) (2026-10-28)
- Cold Weather Payment: when you'll get paid, GOV.UK (DWP) (2026-10-28)
- Cold Weather Payment: what you need to do, GOV.UK (DWP) (2026-10-28)
- Cold Weather Payment: hospital stays, GOV.UK (DWP) (2026-10-28)
- Cold Weather Payment, nidirect (2026-10-28)
- Cold Weather Payment postcode checker, DWP
This is guidance, not regulated financial advice. Check figures against the linked official source before you act. Written with AI assistance and checked against primary sources. How Kitty works. For free, impartial help, try MoneyHelper or Citizens Advice.