Cold Weather Payment 2026/27: who can get £25 and when it is paid
Published · 3 min read · Figures checked . UK rules and rates change, so check the official sources below before you act.
Cold Weather Payment is an automatic £25 for people on certain benefits when their area has a very cold spell. This guide explains who usually qualifies, how the trigger works, when money arrives and what applies in Scotland.
Who this guide is for
This guide is general information about Cold Weather Payment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the winter of 2026/27. It is not advice for your own situation. It does not apply in Scotland, where a different payment exists, and it does not cover other winter help such as the Warm Home Discount or the Winter Fuel Payment.
The details below were read on GOV.UK on 12 October 2026.
How the payment works
GOV.UK says you get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather in your area between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. You qualify when the average temperature in your area is recorded or forecast to be zero degrees Celsius or below for 7 consecutive days. Because it depends on the weather, some winters bring several payments and some bring none.
You do not apply. If you are eligible, the payment is made automatically, and it does not affect your other benefits. GOV.UK says you will be able to check whether your area is due a payment from November 2026.
Who usually qualifies
GOV.UK says you may get payments if you receive certain benefits. The main routes it lists are below, and each has extra conditions.
- Pension Credit: usually eligible if you receive it.
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance: usually eligible if you are in the work-related activity group or the support group. People in neither group may still qualify if they have a certain premium, a disabled child or a child under 5 living with them.
- Universal Credit: usually eligible if neither you nor a partner is employed or gainfully self-employed, and you or your partner have a health condition or disability with limited capability for work, or a child under 5 lives with you. A claim that includes a disabled child amount also counts.
- Support for Mortgage Interest: usually eligible if you receive it and are treated as getting a qualifying benefit, for example because of a pensioner premium, a disabled child or a child under 5 in the home.
The full wording and any exceptions are on the GOV.UK eligibility page, which is the page to rely on.
When it is paid
GOV.UK says payment is expected within 14 working days after each cold period. It goes into the same bank or building society account that your benefits are paid into. If you expect a payment and have not received it, GOV.UK says to contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus. People on Universal Credit are told to add a note to their online journal, or to call the Universal Credit helpline.
GOV.UK also says you may need to report a change if you have a baby or if a child under 5 comes to live with you, as this can affect eligibility.
Differences across the UK
In Scotland, GOV.UK says you cannot get Cold Weather Payments. Instead, you may get an annual Winter Heating Payment, which does not depend on the weather. The Scottish Government's mygov.scot page said the current payment was £62.00, paid automatically from December to people on qualifying benefits. Confirm the amount for this winter on that page.
The GOV.UK pages give a separate postcode checker for Northern Ireland but do not set out other differences, so it can be worth reading the official page for where you live.
Check before you act
Rules and amounts can change, and eligibility has detailed conditions. It is worth confirming everything on the official pages linked below. Free, impartial help with benefits is available from Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper.
Sources
For information only. See our disclaimer and editorial standards. Spotted an error? Tell us.
