Cold Weather Payment
An automatic £25 payment for people on certain benefits whenever their area records — or is forecast — an average temperature of 0°C or below for seven days in a row. The 2026/27 scheme runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027.
- Worth
- £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March
- Run by
- Department for Communities
- Status
- Open
Who qualifies
- Pension Credit — you will usually qualify
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, if you're in the work-related activity group or support group — or, if not, you have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under five
- Universal Credit, if no adult on your claim is employed or self-employed and you either have limited capability for work or a child under five — or, working or not, your award includes the disabled child amount
- Support for Mortgage Interest, together with a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child or a child under five
What it covers
A £25 cash payment for each seven-day period that qualifies, so a long cold snap can trigger more than one payment.
How it works
Every postcode is linked to a nearby weather station. When the average temperature recorded at that station — or forecast for it — is 0°C or below across seven consecutive days, everyone on a qualifying benefit in the postcodes it covers is due a payment.
Because payments follow the weather station rather than your own street, neighbouring areas can receive different numbers of payments in the same winter. Inland and higher areas tend to see longer cold spells than the coast.
Payments arrive within 14 working days of the end of the cold spell, into the same account your benefit is paid into. They do not affect your other benefits.
nidirect's Cold Weather Payment checker lets you enter your postcode to see whether a payment has been triggered in your area.
Making sure you get it
- Check you're on one of the qualifying benefits above. If you're of pension age and not on Pension Credit, find out whether you're entitled to it — it's the most common route in.
- Keep your benefit account details up to date, as payments go to the same account.
- After a cold spell, use the nidirect checker to see whether your postcode triggered a payment.
- If one was triggered and you haven't been paid within 14 working days, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre (for Pension Credit) or your Jobs & Benefits office. Universal Credit claimants can use their online account or the helpline.
Examples
Pensioner on Pension Credit
A week of freezing weather triggers her local weather station. £25 arrives automatically within 14 working days — and if the cold continues for another full week, a second payment follows.
Couple on Universal Credit with a two-year-old, neither working
Because they have a child under five and no earnings on the claim, they qualify for every cold spell triggered in their postcode.
Single person on Universal Credit who works part-time
With earnings on the claim and no disabled child amount, they wouldn't usually qualify, even in a very cold winter.
Watch out for
- Scams: the Department does not contact people asking for bank details to pay a Cold Weather Payment. Any message that does is a scam.
- Not claiming Pension Credit: many pensioners who would qualify for it don't claim, and miss out on Cold Weather Payments as a result. A free Make the Call check will tell you.
Questions people ask
When does the 2026/27 scheme run?
From 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. Cold spells outside those dates don't count.
Do I need to apply?
No. If you're on a qualifying benefit, payments are made automatically.
Does it affect my other benefits?
No — Cold Weather Payments do not affect your other benefits.
Is it the same as the Winter Fuel Payment?
No. Winter Fuel Payment is a once-a-year payment for people of State Pension age. Cold Weather Payments depend on the weather and on being on certain benefits. Some pensioners get both.
Source
Official page: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/cold-weather-payment
Last checked automatically on 23 October 2026 — official page reachable ✓.
Not sure this is the right scheme?
Run the one-minute eligibility check