Guides › Public Services › Cold Weather Payment 2026 to 2027: £25 for Each Freezing Week
Cold Weather Payment 2026 to 2027: £25 for Each Freezing Week
If you get certain benefits, such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit with extra conditions, you can get £25 for each 7-day period when the average temperature in your area is recorded or forecast to be zero degrees or below. The 2026 to 2027 scheme runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. Payments are automatic. Scotland has the Winter Heating Payment instead.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Cold Weather Payment
When It Is Paid
For the 2026 to 2027 winter, payments cover periods between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. You get £25 for each 7-day period when your area's average temperature is recorded or forecast to be zero degrees or below. source
Who Gets It
You may qualify if you get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest, with extra conditions for each, such as a disability amount or a child under 5. source
How It Is Paid
You do not need to apply. Payments usually arrive within 14 working days of the cold period, into the account your benefits go to. You can check your postcode on the DWP checker. Scotland has an annual Winter Heating Payment instead. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 14 working daysPayment usually arrivesAfter the cold spell
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Check your postcode on the DWP checker.
Step 2 of 5
Check you get a qualifying benefit.
Step 3 of 5
Tell DWP if you have a baby or a child under 5 moves in, if you get Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA.
Step 4 of 5
Check your bank after a cold spell.
Step 5 of 5
Contact your benefit office if a payment is missing.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Cold Weather Payment (GOV.UK)
Postcode checker and details.
Citizens Advice
Free, independent help with benefits, including challenges and appeals.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
You do not need to apply, so beware texts asking you to claim a Cold Weather Payment.
Rules here are for England and Wales. Scotland has its own disability and carer benefits from Social Security Scotland, and Northern Ireland benefits are run through nidirect.
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Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 16 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- gov.uk/cold-weather-payment Checked 16 October 2026
- hmrc.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/print Checked 16 October 2026