The DWP will distribute the cold weather payment as long as the ‘7 day rule is met’ | Personal Finance

Cold weather payments are extra one-off payments of £25 which are paid if the average temperature where you live drops to 0°C – zero degrees Celsius – or lower for seven or more consecutive days.

Last winter, 2023-24, at least 600,000 cold weather payments were made in England and Wales, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The previous year, an estimated 5.5 million cold weather payments were made to approximately 3.7 million people.

To get a cold weather payment you will need to claim certain benefits. If you live in Scotland, cold weather payments have been replaced by the winter heating payment, which is paid automatically regardless of weather conditions.

You will be entitled to the following benefits, including:

Pension credit
income support
income-based jobseeker’s allowance,
income-based employment and support allowance – in a work-related activity of the support group
universal credit
support for mortgage interest.

As well as claiming these benefits, you’ll need to meet other criteria, so if you’re getting Income Support and Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, you’ll also need to have:

a disability or pensioner’s premium
a disabled child
tax credit for children which includes an element of handicap or severe handicap
a child under five living with you

If you are in employment on Income and Support Allowance (ESA) and in a work-related activity group or work-related support group, you will receive cold weather payments.

If you’re not in either group, you’ll still get cold weather payments if you have:

a severe or increased disability premium
a pensioner’s premium
a disabled child
tax credit for children which includes an element of handicap or severe handicap
a child under five living with you

If you get universal credit and you and your partner you’re on universal credit and classed as employed or ‘self-employed’ you’ll also need to have:

a health condition or disability and have limited work capacity (with or without work-related activity)
you have a child under five living with you
an amount for disabled children in your application

If you get mortgage interest support (SMI) you will also need to have one of the following to qualify for cold weather payments:

a severe or increased disability premium
a pensioner’s premium
you have a disabled child
a child tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element
a child under 5 living with you

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) measures temperatures in all UK postcodes. So if the average temperature in your area is recorded to be, or forecast to be, 0C or below for seven consecutive days, then you will automatically receive a cold weather payment.

The temperature is recorded by a weather station closest to the postcode; you can go online and check what the temperature is entering the first part of the postal code.

Payments are automatic, but if you’re over State Pension age and think you might be entitled to a cold weather payment, you’ll need to contact the Pensions Helpline.

There are other types of help available during the winter months, including:

Scheme of discounts for warm houses

This is £150 off your energy bill and the discount is automatically applied to your energy bill between October and March.

Winter payment for fuel

This is a one-off annual payment of £200 or £300 for anyone born before 25 September 1957. It is only paid to older households and you will need to claim Pension Credit.