Cold Weather Payment
If you're getting certain benefits you may be eligible for Cold Weather Payments when the weather is very cold.
What is a Cold Weather Payment?
Cold Weather Payments are paid when there’s very cold weather in the area where you live.
Cold weather is defined by the Met Office as being when the average temperature has been‚ or is expected to be‚ 0°C or below for 7 days in a row. The Met Office use specific weather stations that forecast and record temperatures.
How much is a Cold Weather Payment?
You get £25 a week for each 7 day period of cold weather. This only applies between 1 November and 31 March each year.
Am I eligible for the Cold Weather Payment?
The average temperature in your area needs to have been 0˚C or less for seven consecutive days. You can check your area’s temperature by using the DWP’s cold weather payment postcode checker. You also need to be receiving certain benefits, such as one of the following:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit.
How can I claim a Cold Weather Payment?
If you’re eligible for a Cold Weather Payment, you’ll be paid automatically after each 7 day period of cold weather. You should receive your payment within 14 working days.
Contact your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office if you think you should have received a Cold Weather Payment but didn't. If you receive Universal Credit, contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 9344.
What should I do next?
Where can I find more information?
- Age UK Information Guide: Winter Wrapped Up (PDF, 350 KB)
- Warm Home Discount
- Age UK information guide: More money in your pocket (PDF, 3 MB)
- Age UK factsheet: Help with heating costs (PDF, 477 KB)
- GOV.UK: Cold weather payments
- Met Office: Cold Weather alert
- DWP: Cold weather payment postcode checker
For more information call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 678 1602.
We’re open 8am to 7pm, every day of the year.
What benefits can you claim?
Do you know what benefits you are entitled to? Age UK's Benefits Calculator can help you, quickly and easily, to find out what you could be claiming.