Cold weather payments
Advice
You will get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as (or is forecast to be) zero degrees Celsius or below for over seven consecutive days. You can claim the payments if you receive certain benefits, however, if you are eligible the DWP usually dispatch payments automatically. You will receive £25 (as of Feb 2021) for every seven days of freezing weather for the period between 1 November and 31 March. You should receive a payment within 14 working days. It will be paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. Cold Weather Payments do not affect your other benefits.
Eligibility
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you're getting:
- Pension Credit;
- Income Support;
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Universal Credit (you must also have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work); or
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
Inform the Jobcentre Plus if you receive these benefits or a child under five has come to live with you.
Pension Credit
You'll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you on benefit with any of the following:
- A disability or pensioner premium;
- A child who is disabled; or
- Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element.
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You'll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get income-related ESA and are in a work-related activity group or support group. If you're not in either group, you may get it if you receive any of the following:
- A severe or enhanced disability premium;
- A pensioner premium;
- A child who is disabled; or
- Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element.
If you don't receive your Cold Weather Payment
Inform your pension office, Jobcentre Plus office if you believe you should have received a Cold Weather Payment but have not received it. If you're getting Universal Credit, sign in to your account and add a note to your journal. If you do not have an online account, ring their helpline instead.
Hospital stays
You must tell your pension office or Jobcentre Plus office if you go into hospital because it could affect your payment. If you're receiving Universal Credit, sign in to your account and add a note to your journal or contact them by telephone. You can find further information through the official site for cold weather payments.