The Cold Weather Payments scheme for the 2025 to 2026 winter opened on 1 November 2025 and runs until 31 March 2026, according to GOV.UK1. The department pays £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather falling inside those dates1. Uswitch, which updated its guide on 6 January 2026, gives the same start and end dates and the same £25 rate2.
A payment is triggered where the average temperature in an area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over seven consecutive days1. GOV.UK states that eligible households are paid automatically and do not need to apply, though a change in circumstances may need to be reported if a baby arrives or a child under five comes to live with them1. Uswitch adds that payment should arrive within 14 days of the cold weather period ending, and that the money is paid into the account already used for benefit payments2. GOV.UK says the payments do not affect other benefits1; Uswitch says they do not need to be repaid2.
Eligibility depends on the benefit received and, for most of them, on additional criteria. GOV.UK refers to "certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest" without listing them on its overview page1. Uswitch sets out the qualifying benefits and the extra conditions as follows2:
| Benefit | Extra criteria |
|---|---|
| Pension Credit | None, though no payment is made to those living in a care home |
| Income Support or JSA | A pensioner or disability premium; a disabled child; a child under 5 living with you; Child Tax Credit including a disability or severe disability element |
| ESA or SMI | A severe or enhanced disability premium; a pensioner premium; a disabled child; a child under 5 living with you; Child Tax Credit including a disability or severe disability element |
| Universal Credit | You or your partner not employed or gainfully self-employed, plus a health condition or disability and limited capacity for work, or a child under 5 living with you |
Uswitch states that those receiving Support for Mortgage Interest qualify by applying for any of these benefits, even if they later do not receive them because their income is too high2.
Coverage differs by nation. GOV.UK provides postcode checkers for England and Wales and for Northern Ireland1. For Scotland it states plainly:
"You cannot get Cold Weather Payments."
GOV.UK says Scottish households might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead, paid regardless of weather conditions1. Uswitch describes that as a single automatic payment made between December and February, worth £58.75 in 20252. GOV.UK also notes that Cold Weather Payments are different to Winter Fuel Payments1, and Uswitch says the two can be claimed in addition to each other2. The Warm Home Discount is a separate £150 rebate on electricity bills, according to Uswitch2.
Why it matters for households
The payment is tied to measured temperature rather than to a household's bill, so it arrives only in spells cold enough to cross the threshold, and only for households already receiving a qualifying benefit. For a home on a low income, £25 per qualifying week is a fixed contribution towards heating during the coldest part of the year, and it is paid without an application. Because it does not reduce other benefits and does not have to be repaid1, it does not alter a household's wider entitlement. Households in Scotland sit outside the scheme entirely and depend on a different, weather-independent payment1. GOV.UK does not state on its overview page how many payments have been triggered so far this winter, and no total has been reported.
What happens next
The scheme closes on 31 March 20261. Payments for qualifying periods are made automatically, with Uswitch stating they should arrive within 14 days of the cold spell ending2. Households that believe a payment is due but have not received one can check their postcode first and then contact their pension centre, Jobcentre Plus office or the Universal Credit helpline, according to Uswitch2.
Sources2 cited
- [ Cold Weather Payment: Overview - GOV.UK
](https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment), gov.uk