Brits have been battling icy conditions this past week, with the Met Office issuing warnings for snow and ice across various regions of the country. Despite the inconvenience, there’s a silver lining as you could be eligible for certain Government payments, provided you meet the necessary criteria.
‘Cold Weather Payments’ are additional benefits given to people receiving specific financial support during periods of extreme cold weather. These are typically distributed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when the average temperature in your area is recorded or predicted to be zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
Generally, those who qualify will receive £25 for each seven-day period of severe cold weather that occurs between November 1 2025, and March 31, 2026. People in England and Wales may be eligible for Cold Weather Payments if they receive other financial assistance, including:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
Nonetheless, whether you qualify largely hinges on your personal circumstances. For example, if you’re claiming Universal Credit, neither you nor your partner should be employed or ‘gainfully self-employed’ to be entitled to the benefit.
Official advice on GOV.UK explains: “You may get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest. If you’re eligible, you’ll get these payments automatically. You do not need to apply, but you may need to tell Jobcentre Plus if you have a baby or if a child under five comes to live with you. The payments do not affect your other benefits.”
Those wishing to determine whether their English or Welsh location is eligible for Cold Weather Payments can use the UK Government’s postcode tool to find your address. To verify your eligibility and the criteria for Cold Weather Payments in Northern Ireland, head to the NI Direct website. If you live in Scotland, you are not eligible for Cold Weather Payments, but you might receive an annual Winter Heating Payment instead.
Cold Weather Payments activated already in England and Wales
The Mirror reported on January 7 that the DWP had activated Cold Weather Payments for nearly 250 postcode areas. Consequently, it’s estimated that no fewer than half a million households will qualify for this extra financial assistance.
Impacted areas have encompassed Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Gloucestershire, as well as parts of Wales and Northern Ireland. A list of postcodes included in this is below:
- CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, CA8, DG16, BH1, BH2, BH3, BH4, BH5, BH6, BH7, BH8, BH9, BH10, BH11, BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17, BH18, BH19, BH20, BH21, BH22, BH23, BH24, BH25, BH31, DT1, DT2, DT11, SP6, CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW12, SK10, SK11, ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7, ST12, ST14, ST15, ST16, ST17, ST18, ST19, ST20, ST21,CV36, GL54, GL55, GL56, OX7, OX15, OX16, OX17, WR12, LD1, LD2, LD4, LD5, LD6, LD7, LD8, SA19, SA20, SY7, SY9, SY18, BL0, BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL6, BL7, BL8, BL9, M24, M26, OL1, OL2, OL3, OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7, OL8, OL9, OL10, OL11, OL12, OL15, OL16, SK15, CW4, CW6, CW7, CW8, CW9, CW10, CW11, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M17, M18, M19, M20, M21, M22, M23, M25, M27, M28, M29, M30, M31, M32, M33, M34, M35, M38, M40, M41, M43, M44, M45, M46, M50, M90, PR7, SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8, SK9, SK12, SK14, SK16, WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4, WA5, WA6, WA7, WA8, WA9, WA10, WA11, WA12, WA13, WA14, WA15, WA16, WN1, WN2, WN3, WN4, WN5, WN6, WN7, WN8, SY1, SY2, SY3, SY4, SY5, SY6, SY11, SY12, SY13, TF1, TF2, TF3, TF4, TF5, TF6, TF7, TF8, TF9, TF10, TF11, TF12, TF13, LE15, NN14, NN15, NN16, NN17, NN18, PE1, PE2, PE3, PE4, PE5, PE6, PE7, PE8, PE9, PE15, PE16, PE26, PE27, PE28, PE29, BT24, BT25, BT26, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, BT34.
For additional information, visit the UK Government website here.
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