Cold Weather Payment 2026/27: Who Gets £25 and When
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If you get Pension Credit, or certain other benefits, you get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. You do not apply: it is paid automatically when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
Key points
✓£25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027
✓A payment is triggered when the average temperature in your area is, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over 7 consecutive days
✓You qualify through Pension Credit, income-related ESA, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest, not through State Pension, PIP or Child Benefit alone
✓You are paid automatically, within 14 working days of the cold spell, into the account your benefit goes to
✓If you have a baby or a child under 5 moves in, you must report it or you will not be paid automatically
✓Scotland has no Cold Weather Payment: Social Security Scotland pays a Winter Heating Payment of £62.00 whatever the weather
How much you get and when
You get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. The 2025 to 2026 scheme has ended and the 2026 to 2027 scheme starts on 1 November 2026. You can check whether your area is due a payment from November 2026.
After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It is paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. Cold Weather Payments do not affect your other benefits.
A cold spell that lasts several weeks can mean several payments, one for each 7-day period. A mild winter can mean none, because the payment depends on the weather where you live and not on how much you need the money.
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You get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days. This is a local test, so people in different parts of the country can be paid at different times.
To find out whether the weather where you live means you may get a payment, use the official postcode checkers:
✓Yes: England and Wales are covered by the DWP checker
✓Yes: Northern Ireland has its own checker on nidirect
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you are getting Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest. State Pension, PIP, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance and Child Benefit are not on that list, so getting one of them alone does not qualify you.
Pension Credit
You usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Pension Credit. This is the most common route for pensioners. Our Pension Credit guide shows how to claim.
Income-related ESA
You usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get income-related ESA and are in a work-related activity group or support group. If you are in neither group, you might also get them if you have any of the following:
✓Yes: a severe or enhanced disability premium
✓Yes: a pensioner premium
✓Yes: a child who is disabled
✓Yes: a child under 5 living with you
Universal Credit
You usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Universal Credit and you are not employed or "gainfully self-employed", and your partner is not either, if you have one. You are likely to be treated as gainfully self-employed if being self-employed is your main job, you work regularly and you expect to make a profit. One of the following must also apply:
✓Yes: you or your partner have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)
✓Yes: you have a child under 5 living with you
You are also eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim. It does not matter whether you or your partner are employed, self-employed or not working. See our limited capability for work guide for what that element means.
Support for Mortgage Interest
You usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Support for Mortgage Interest and you are treated as getting a qualifying benefit where one of these applies: a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, you have a child who is disabled, or you have a child under 5 living with you. You are usually treated as getting a qualifying benefit if you apply for it but do not receive it because your income is too high.
Do you need to apply?
No. If you are eligible, you will be paid automatically. You may need to report a change if you have a baby or a child under 5 comes to live with you.
1
If you get Universal Credit
Report the change using your online account. If you do not have one, call the Universal Credit helpline, whose number is on your claim letters.
2
If you get income-related ESA
Tell Jobcentre Plus.
3
If you do not report it
You will not automatically get Cold Weather Payments.
Be wary of any text or email about winter payments. You do not need to do anything to get a Cold Weather Payment, and in Northern Ireland you will not be sent a text or email asking for your bank details.
If you think you were missed
Tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you think you should have got a Cold Weather Payment but you have not. If you get Universal Credit, sign in to your account and add a note to your journal, or ring the Universal Credit helpline if you do not have an online account.
Tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you go into hospital as well, because that could affect your payment. If you disagree with a decision, our mandatory reconsideration guide explains how to challenge it.
Scotland: Winter Heating Payment instead
If you live in Scotland you cannot get Cold Weather Payments. You might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead, which you get regardless of weather conditions in your area. Social Security Scotland pays it from December and through winter, and the current payment is £62.00.
You get it automatically if you get one of the qualifying benefits during the qualifying week, which is 2 to 8 November 2026. The qualifying benefits are Universal Credit (with certain conditions), Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related ESA and Support for Mortgage Interest. Several of these need a child under 5, a disability element or a disability premium, so check the list on mygov.scot.
You will get a letter or an email from Social Security Scotland telling you it is coming, and the payment appears as "WHP" on your bank statement. If you are worried you have missed a payment you should have got, send Social Security Scotland a request. Getting Winter Heating Payment does not affect any other benefits.
Winter Heating Payment is not the same as Scotland's Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which replaced the Winter Fuel Payment for people in Scotland. See our Winter Fuel Payment guide for that one.
Northern Ireland
The scheme in Northern Ireland reopens on 1 November 2026 and runs to 31 March 2027, with the same £25.00 for each seven-day period of very cold weather and the same 14 working day payment window. The qualifying benefits are the same, but for Universal Credit nidirect says none of the adults on your claim are employed or self-employed.
If you think you should have received a payment, tell the Northern Ireland Pension Centre or your local Jobs and Benefits office.
Not the same as Winter Fuel Payment or Warm Home Discount
Cold Weather Payments are different to Winter Fuel Payments. People on Pension Credit can also get help with their heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme. Our Winter Fuel Payment guide and grants and hardship funds guide cover them.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Cold Weather Payment?
It is £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027, paid to people on certain benefits. It is triggered when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
Who gets the Cold Weather Payment?
You may get it if you are getting Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest. For the last three there are extra conditions, such as limited capability for work or a child under 5, which are explained above.
Can I get the Cold Weather Payment on the State Pension?
Not on the State Pension alone. State Pension is not one of the qualifying benefits. You can get it if you also get Pension Credit, which tops up a low income, so check whether you can claim Pension Credit.
Can I get the Cold Weather Payment on Universal Credit?
Yes, if you are not employed or gainfully self-employed, your partner is not either, and you or your partner have limited capability for work or you have a child under 5 living with you. You also qualify if your claim includes a disabled child amount.
Can I get the Cold Weather Payment on PIP?
Not on PIP alone, because PIP is not a qualifying benefit. You can qualify through Universal Credit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit if you meet their conditions.
When is the Cold Weather Payment paid?
After each period of very cold weather in your area you should get a payment within 14 working days, into the same account as your benefit. The scheme runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 and you can check whether your area is due a payment from November 2026.
Do I have to apply for the Cold Weather Payment?
No, it is paid automatically. You only need to act if you have a baby or a child under 5 moves in and you get Universal Credit or income-related ESA, because you will not be paid automatically if you do not report it.
Is there a Cold Weather Payment in Scotland?
No. In Scotland you might get an annual Winter Heating Payment of £62.00 instead, paid by Social Security Scotland from December whatever the weather, if you got a qualifying benefit in the qualifying week, 2 to 8 November 2026.
Know Your Rights UK. "Cold Weather Payment 2026/27: Who Gets £25 and When." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/cold-weather-payment