Are you due a Cold Weather Payment?

2 mins read

Tuesday 14 January 2025

The UK has experienced a week of freezing sub-zero temperatures, with the icy conditions only now set to ease.

This means that many households in some parts of the country are due a Cold Weather Payment this week.

What is a Cold Weather Payment?

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) pays a Cold Weather Payment of £25 to low-income families on certain means-tested benefits when temperatures in your local area fall (or are forecast to) to 0 degrees or below for seven days in a row.

The DWP will make a payment for each seven-day period of sub-zero temperatures between 1 November 2024 and 31 March 2025.

Who is eligible?

You are eligible for a Cold Weather Payment if you are on an income-related benefit and certain other conditions apply, such as having a disabled child or a child under five.

You can see the full eligibility criteria on our website.

And you can use a postcode checker to see whether the DWP is making payments in your local area online

Cold Weather Payments only apply in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. In Scotland, households can get a winter heating payment or a Child Winter Heating Payment.

How do I get the payment?

If you are eligible for a Cold Weather Payment, the DWP will automatically pay £25 into the same account you receive your benefits into.

More cost of living help as bills rise

On 1 January the Ofgem energy price cap rose to £1,738. This means households will be paying more for each unit of energy and will face higher bills as result.

We’re here to help. You can find lots of information on our website to help you keep costs down, find support to cover rising costs and make sure you’re claiming all the welfare support you’re entitled to.

Browse our pages on:

We’re calling for an energy social tariff

Our Counting the Costs research found that 43% of families with disabled children have gone without heating in the last year.

We’re calling for the government to introduce an energy social tariff for critically ill disabled children.

Sign up to our campaign updates to stay up-to-date.