Cold Weather Payment


Overview

You may get a Cold Weather Payment if you are getting certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

You will get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below for 7 consecutive days.

You’ll get £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

Cold Weather payments are different to Winter Fuel Payments.

Who is eligible?

You may get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting:

  • Pension Credit

  • Income Support

  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance

  • Universal Credit

  • Support for Mortgage Interest

Pension Credit

You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Pension Credit.

Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and have any of the following:

  • a disability or pensioner premium

  • a child who is disabled

  • Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element

  • a child under 5 living with you

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get income-related ESA and are in a work-related activity group or support group. If you’re not in either group, you might also get Cold Weather Payments if you have any of the following:

  • a severe or enhanced disability premium

  • a pensioner premium

  • a child who is disabled

  • Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element

  • a child under 5 living with you

Universal Credit

You will usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Universal Credit and you are not employed or self-employed. One of the following must also apply:

  • you have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)

  • you have a child under 5 living with you

You’ll also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you’re employed or not.

Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)

You will usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).

What you will get

You will get £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.

After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.

Cold Weather payment does not affect any other benefits.

How to claim

You do not need to apply. If you are eligible to get a Cold Weather Payment, you will be paid it automatically.

If you have a baby or a child under 5 comes to live with you

Tell Jobcentre Plus if you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance and:

  • you have had a baby

  • a child under 5 has come to live with you

You will not automatically get Cold Weather Payments if you do not.

If you do not receive your Cold Weather Payment

Tell your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office if you think you should have received 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.

If you do not have an online account, ring the Universal Credit helpline instead. The phone number is on letters about your Universal Credit claim.

Hospital claims

If you go into hospital, you must tell the Jobcentre Plus as this could affect your payment.

If you’re getting Universal Credit, sign in to your account and add a note to your journal.

If you do not have an online account, ring the Universal Credit helpline instead. The phone number is on letters about your Universal Credit.