Cold Weather Payment: who gets £25 for each cold snap in the 2026/27 season

Cold Weather Payment is extra money to help with heating costs during very cold weather. No application is needed, but it is not paid in Scotland.

When it is paid

A payment is triggered when the average temperature in an area is recorded, or forecast, to be zero degrees Celsius or below for seven days in a row. Each such seven-day period pays £25. The 2026/27 season runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. Money usually arrives within 14 working days after a cold spell in the area ends, into the same bank or building society account as other benefit payments.

Who can get it

Eligibility depends on receiving one of the following: Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, or Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). Some of these have extra conditions:

• People receiving Pension Credit usually get the payment.
• For Universal Credit, usually no adult on the claim can be employed or gainfully self-employed. In addition, there must be a health condition or disability with limited capability for work, or a child under five living in the home. If a disabled child amount is included in the claim, employment does not matter.
• For SMI and income-related ESA, certain premiums apply, such as disability or pensioner premiums, or a child in the household.

Where it applies

The payment covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, a Winter Heating Payment is available instead, and it does not depend on the weather. Northern Ireland has its own information page on the nidirect website.

Cold Weather Payment should not be confused with the Winter Fuel Payment. The latter is for people born on or before 27 June 1960 and depends on age rather than temperature. For winter 2026 to 2027 it is between £100 and £300.

What this means for you

People who receive the listed benefits do not need to apply, as the payment is made automatically. If a payment does not arrive after a cold spell, it should be reported to the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus. People on Universal Credit can add a note to their online account journal or call the Universal Credit helpline, whose number appears on letters about their claim.