Nearly 1.5 million households in England and Wales have received a £25 Cold Weather Payment since December 2025, totalling more than £35 million so far. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published the update on 18 February 2026, setting the scheme alongside wider cost of living measures including £150 off energy bills, a rail fares freeze and a new £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund. (gov.uk)
Cold Weather Payments are issued automatically when the average temperature for a postcode is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below for seven consecutive days. Each qualifying seven‑day period generates a £25 payment, typically arriving within 14 working days. For winter 2025 to 2026, the scheme runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026. (gov.uk)
Eligibility is tied to benefit receipt. Pension Credit recipients qualify automatically. Households on Universal Credit, Income Support, income‑based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income‑related Employment and Support Allowance, and Support for Mortgage Interest may also qualify if they meet additional conditions linked to employment status, disability or caring responsibilities for young or disabled children. Payments do not affect other benefit entitlements. (gov.uk)
No application is required. The DWP provides a postcode checker for England and Wales to confirm whether a local cold spell has triggered a payment, with a separate checker for Northern Ireland. Payments are made to the same bank or building society account as the qualifying benefit. If household circumstances change-for example a new baby or a child under five coming to live with a claimant-Jobcentre Plus should be informed so eligibility can be updated. (gov.uk)
Triggers are defined by specific weather stations mapped to postcodes. Multiple stations have already triggered this winter across regions including the North East, Yorkshire, East Anglia, the South East, parts of the Midlands and Wales. A full list of activated stations and covered postcodes is published by the DWP. (gov.uk)
For pensioners on low incomes, Pension Credit remains a gateway benefit and is worth around £86 a week on average, opening access to other support such as help with housing costs and free NHS dental treatment. Ministers also restated that this winter’s support sits alongside the government’s triple lock commitment and a £300 Winter Fuel Payment for over nine million pensioners. (gov.uk)
Scotland operates a different system. Cold Weather Payments are not available; instead, an annual Winter Heating Payment of £59.75 for 2025–26 is paid automatically between December and February, regardless of temperature. If someone believes they should have received it but did not, Social Security Scotland sets out how to request a review. (mygov.scot)
Northern Ireland retains a Cold Weather Payment scheme administered via nidirect, using the same temperature‑trigger approach and offering a postcode checker. Payments are automatic for eligible claimants and are normally made within 14 working days after a qualifying period. (nidirect.gov.uk)
Operationally, the DWP relies on Met Office data. A payment triggers when a weather station’s recorded or forecast seven‑day average temperature is 0°C or below, with safeguards preventing overlapping payments for the same period. Once triggered, the instruction enters benefit systems and is paid automatically. (gov.uk)
This season’s update sits within a wider welfare programme. Legislation to remove the two‑child limit in Universal Credit has progressed through second reading, with government plans stating implementation from April 2026. Ministers have also launched a £1 billion, multi‑year Crisis and Resilience Fund for local authorities from April 2026, replacing the Household Support Fund in England. (gov.uk)