1.5M Households Receive £35M Cold Weather Payments

Nearly 1.5 million low-income households across England and Wales have received Cold Weather Payments totaling more than 35 million pounds from the Department for Work and Pensions this winter, as subzero temperatures triggered the automatic support scheme multiple times since December 2025.

The payments, worth 25 pounds for each seven-day period when average temperatures in a postcode area fall to zero degrees Celsius or below, aim to assist vulnerable residents with heating costs during prolonged cold spells. The scheme runs from November 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, and relies on readings from 71 Met Office weather stations to determine eligibility by location. No application is required; qualifying benefits are paid directly into the same account used for other entitlements, typically within 14 working days of the cold period ending.

Eligibility covers recipients of Pension Credit, who qualify automatically. Those on Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance generally receive payments if they have a disability, care for someone, or live with a child under five or a disabled child. Similar criteria apply to income-related Employment and Support Allowance claimants...