Cold Weather Payment 2026 to 2027
GOV.UK: “You’ll get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027.”
A payment is made when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
You do not need to apply: if you are eligible you are paid automatically, within 14 working days, into the account your benefits go into. The payments do not affect your other benefits.
Who qualifies in England and Wales
Pension Credit: you will usually get Cold Weather Payments.
Income-related ESA: usually if you are in the work-related activity group or support group. If not, you might still get them with a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under 5 living with you.
Universal Credit: neither you nor your partner is employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’, and either one of you has limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity) or a child under 5 lives with you. You are also eligible with a disabled child amount in your claim, whether or not you work.
Support for Mortgage Interest: if you are treated as getting a qualifying benefit and have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under 5 living with you.
On Universal Credit or income-related ESA, report it if you have a baby or a child under 5 comes to live with you. GOV.UK: “You will not automatically get Cold Weather Payments if you do not.”
Check your area
GOV.UK: “You’ll be able to check if your area is due a payment in November 2026.” Until then, the DWP postcode checker does not show the 2026 to 2027 scheme.
This checker lets you enter the number of cold spells instead, so it never guesses your postcode's weather.
DWP Cold Weather Payment postcode checker (England and Wales) →
If a payment is missing
GOV.UK: “Tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you think you should have got a Cold Weather Payment but you have not. If you’re getting Universal Credit, sign in to your account and add a note to your journal.”
Northern Ireland and Scotland
Northern Ireland has its own scheme on nidirect: £25.00 for each seven-day period of very cold weather, reopening on 1 November 2026 and running to 31 March 2027. The Universal Credit rule differs: nidirect says none of the adults on your claim can be employed or self-employed, and you must have limited capability for work or a child under five living with you. You are also eligible with a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you are employed or not.
nidirect's postcode checker still shows the 2025 to 2026 scheme. If you think you missed a payment, tell the Northern Ireland Pension Centre or your local Jobs and Benefits office.
Scotland: GOV.UK says you cannot get Cold Weather Payments. You might get the annual Winter Heating Payment instead, which does not depend on the weather.