The DWP Cold Weather Payment is a grant of £25 that is paid to eligible people who experience very cold weather in their area. The payment is designed to help with heating bills and other essentials during the winter months.
In this article, we will explain what the Cold Weather Payment is, who is eligible for it, how to check if your area is due a payment, how to claim it, and how to challenge a decision if you think you should have got it but you did not.
What is the Cold Weather Payment?
The Cold Weather Payment is a scheme run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that pays £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2023 and 31 March 2024. Very cold weather means that the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
The payment is made automatically into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments. You do not need to apply for it, but you may need to tell Jobcentre Plus if you have a baby or if a child under 5 comes to live with you.
Who is eligible for a Cold Weather Payment?
You may get Cold Weather Payments if you are getting one of the following benefits or support:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
You may also need to meet some criteria depending on which benefit you get. For example, you may need to have a disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, a Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element, or a health condition or disability and has limited capability for work. You can check the full eligibility criteria on the GOV.UK website.
Full list of eligible postcodes
You can check if any payments are due in your area by using the postcode checker on the GOV.UK website. You can also see the full list of eligible postcodes for each weather station in England and Wales here and in Northern Ireland here. The postcode checker and the list are updated regularly based on the latest weather data from the Met Office.
How to claim
As mentioned above, you do not need to apply for the Cold Weather Payment. If you are eligible, you should get it automatically within 14 working days after each period of very cold weather in your area. However, if you do not get your payment, you should contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you are getting Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
If you are getting Universal Credit, you should sign in to your account and add a note to your journal. If you do not have an online account, you should ring the Universal Credit helpline instead. The phone number is on letters about your Universal Credit claim.
Read Also
Full List of Postcodes That Were Eligible For a Cold Weather Payment
For this reason, people who might be living in your area can check the DWP Cold Weather Payment postcode checker to see whether they should get a payment.
The DWP uses 72 weather stations in its network to identify which of the postcodes are and are not eligible. These stations determine average temperatures of an area per its seven-day cycle. These weather stations are assigned to each of the residential postcodes that will be used for the scheme.
Below, we list all of the identified weather stations, including their postcodes and the number of distinct payment thematically qualified for at least one DWP Cold Weather Payment up to January 13th, 2023 (64/72). This will give you some feel of whether the place where you are living could be eligible for future compensation.
| Area/Weather Station | Postcode(s) | Number of Payments They Received |
|---|---|---|
| Yeovilton | BA4-10, BA16, BA20-22, BS25-28, DT9-10, SP8, TA1-20, TA23 | Two |
| Woburn | MK1-17, MK19, MK40-46, NN8-10, NN29, PE19, SG5-7, SG15-19 | Two |
| Westonbirt | BA1-3, BA11, BA13-15, GL7-9, RG17, SN1-6, SN8-16, SN25-26 | One |
| Wattisham | CB8-9, CO1-8, CO10-16, IP1-23, IP29-33 | One |
| Walney Island | LA1, LA3-5, LA11-20 | One |
| Waddington | DN9-10, DN15-22, DN31-41, LN1-13, NG23-24, PE10-11, PE20-25 | One |
| Trawsgoed | LL35-40, SY20, SY23-25 | Two |
| Tibenham | NR1-35 | One |
| Thorney Island | BN1-3, BN9-18, BN25, BN41-43, BN45, PO1-22, PO30-41, SO14-19, SO30-32, SO40-43, SO45, SO50-53 | One |
| Stowe | NN1-7, NN11-13, MK18 | Two |
| Stonyhurst | BB1-3, BB5-7, LA2, LA6-7, PR6 | One |
| St. Bees Head | CA13-15, CA18-28 | One |
| Shoeburyness | BR5-8, CM0, CT5-6, DA1-18, ME1-5, ME7-13, RM1-3, RM5-20, SS0-9, SS11-17 | One |
| Sheffield | DN1-8, DN11-12, HD1-2, HD4-6, S1-14, S17-18, S20-21, S25-26, S35, S40-45, S60-66, S70-75, S80-81, WF1-17 | One |
| Shawbury | SY1-6, SY11-13, TF1-13 | One |
| Shap | CA10-12, CA16-17, LA8-10, LA21-23 | Two |
| Rothamsted | AL1-10, EN6, HP1-4, LU1-7, SG1-4, SG12-14, WD3-7, WD17-19, WD23-25 | One |
| Rostherne | CW4, CW6-11, M1-9, M11-23, M25, M27-35, M38, M40-41, M43-46, M50, M90, PR7, SK1-12, SK14, SK16, WA1-16, WN1-8 | Two |
| Rochdale | BL0-9, M24, M26, OL1-12, OL15-16, SK15 | Two |
| Rhyl | LL15-19, LL22, LL26-32 | One |
| Redesdale | CA9, DH8, NE19, NE47-49 | Two |
| Pembrey Sands | SA1-8, SA14-18, SA31-34, SA61-63, SA66-73 | One |
| Odiham | GU1-4, GU7-12, GU14-35, GU46-47, GU51-52, RG1-2, RG4-8, RG10, RG12, RG14, RG18-27, RG29-31, RG40-42, RG45, SL1-2, SL4-6, SO24 | One |
| Nottingham Watnall | DE1, DE3, DE5-7, DE11-15, DE21-24, DE55-56, DE65, DE72-75, LE1-9, LE11-14, LE16-19, LE65, LE67, NG1-22, NG25, NG31-34 | One |
| Morpeth, Cockle Park | NE22, NE24, NE61-70 | One |
| Mona | LL33-34, LL42-49, LL51-78 | One |
| Marham | CB6-7, IP24-28, PE12-14, PE30-38 | One |
| Loftus | SR8, TS1-8, TS10-14, TS17-20, TS22-27 | One |
| Llysdinam | LD1-8, SA19-20, SY7, SY9, SY18 | Two |
| Little Rissington | CV36, GL54-56, OX7, OX15-17, WR12 | Two |
| Liscombe | EX16, EX35-36, TA22, TA24 | One |
| Libanus | CF37-48, CF81-83, LD3, NP4, NP11-13, NP22-24, NP44, SA9 | Two |
| Leeming | DL1-3, DL6-7, DL9-10, TS9, TS15-16, YO7 | One |
| Leek | DE4, DE45, S32-33, SK13, SK17, SK22-23, ST9-10, ST13 | One |
| Leconfield | DN14, HU1-20, YO11-12, YO14-17, YO25 | One |
| Lake Vyrnwy | LL20-21, LL23, SY10, SY15-17, SY19, SY21-22 | One |
| Keele | CW1-3, CW5, CW12, ST1-8, ST11-12, ST14-21 | One |
| Hurn | BH1-25, BH31, DT1-2, DT11, SP6 | One |
| Herstmonceux West End | BN7-8, BN20-24, BN26-27, TN21, TN31-40 | One |
| Hereford-Credenhill | GL1-6, GL10, GL14-20, GL50-53, HR1-9, NP7-8, NP15, NP25, SY8, WR1-11, WR13-15 | One |
| Heathrow | BR1-4, CR0, CR2-8, E1-18, E20, E1W, EC1A, EC1M, EC1N, EC1R, EC1V,EC1Y, EC2A, EC2M, EC2N, EC2R, EC2V, EC2Y, EC3A, EC3M, EC3N, EC3R, EC3V, EC4A, EC4M, EC4N, EC4R, EC4V, EC4Y, EN1-5, EN7-11, HA0-9, IG1-11, KT1-24, N1-22, N1C, NW1-11, SE1-28, SL0, SL3, SM1-7, SW2-20, SW1A, SW1E, SW1H, SW1P, SW1V, SW1W, SW1X, SW1Y TW1-20, UB1-11, W2-14, W1B-D, W1F-H, W1J-K, W1S-U, W1W, WC1A-B, WC1E, WC1H, WC1N, WC1R, WC1V, WC1X, WC2A-B, WC2E, WC2H, WC2N, WC2R | One |
| Hawarden Airport | CH1-8, LL11-14, SY14 | One |
| Fylingdales | YO13, YO18, YO21-22, YO62 | One |
| Exeter Airport | EX1-12, EX24, TQ1-6, TQ9, TQ12, TQ14 | Two |
| Eskdalemuir | DG14, TD9 | Two |
| Dunkeswell Aerodrome | DT6-8, EX13-15,TA21 | One |
| Crosby | CH41-49, CH60-66, FY1-8, L1-40, PR1-5, PR8-9, PR25-26 | One |
| Coleshill | B1-21, B23-38, B40, B42-50, B60-80, B90-98, CV1-12, CV21-23, CV31-35, CV37, CV47, DY1-14, LE10, WS1-15, WV1-16 | One |
| Chivenor | EX23, EX31-34, EX39 | One |
| Charlwood | BN5-6, BN44, GU5-6, ME6, ME14-20, RH1-20, TN1-20, TN22, TN27 | One |
| Carlisle | CA1-8, DG12, DG16 | Two |
| Capel Curig | LL24-25, LL41 | One |
| Brize Norton | OX1-6, OX8, OX10-14, OX18, OX20, OX25-29, OX33, OX44, SN7 | One |
| Bramham | HG1-5, LS1-20, LS22-28, YO1, YO8, YO10, YO19, YO23-24, YO26, YO30-32, YO41-43, YO51, YO60-61 | One |
| Boscombe Down | BA12, RG28, SO20-23, SP1-5, SP7, SP9-11 | One |
| Bingley | BB4, BB8-12, BB18, BD1-22, HD3, HD7-9, HX1-7, LS21, LS29, OL13-14, S36 | Two |
| Benson | HP5-23, HP27, OX9-10, OX33, OX39, OX44, OX49, RG9, SL7-9 | Two |
| Bainbridge | BD23-24, DL8, DL11-13 | Two |
| Andrewsfield | CB1-5, CB10-11, CB21-25, CM1-9, CM11-24, CM77, CO9, RM4, SG8-11 | One |
| Almondsbury | BS1-11, BS13-16, BS20-24, BS29-32, BS34-37, BS39-41, BS48-49, GL11-13, NP16, NP26 | One |
| Albemarle | DH1-7, DH9, DL4-5, DL14-17, NE1-13, NE15-18, NE20-21, NE23, NE 25-46, SR1-7, TS21, TS28-29 | Two |
| Aberpoth | SA35-48, SA64-65 | One |
Challenging a decision
If you think you should have got a Cold Weather Payment but you did not, or if you disagree with the amount you got, you can ask for an explanation or challenge the decision. You can do this by contacting the office that pays your benefit within one month of the date of the decision letter.
You can also ask for a mandatory reconsideration, which means that another person will look at your case and see if the decision was correct. If you are still unhappy after the mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to an independent tribunal.
Procedure to get Cold Weather Payments
You may be eligible for cold weather payments if you receive one of the following benefits:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
You also need to meet some additional criteria depending on the benefit you receive. You can check the full eligibility details on the GOV.UK website.
You do not need to apply for cold weather payments. If you are eligible, you will get them automatically. However, you may need to tell Jobcentre Plus if you have a baby or if a child under 5 comes to live with you.
How the Payment is Processed
The payment is triggered when the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. The DWP uses a network of 72 weather stations across the UK to measure the temperature.
You can check if your area is due a payment by entering your postcode into the DWP’s online checker. You can also find a full list of areas that have qualified for the payment since 1 November 2023 on various news websites.
You will get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2023 and 31 March 2024. The payment should be made within 14 working days after each period of very cold weather in your area.
Steps to Take if Payment is Not Received
If you think you should have received a cold weather payment but you did not, you can contact your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office. You can also call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 9344.
You have until 31 March 2025 to report any problems with your payment.
People May Also Ask
What is the Cold Weather Payment?
The Cold Weather Payment is a scheme that helps people on low incomes with their heating costs during winter. It is different from the Winter Fuel Payment, which is a one-off payment of between £100 and £300 that most people born on or before 5 October 1954 will get automatically.
Who can get the Cold Weather Payment?
You can get the Cold Weather Payment if you are receiving one of the following benefits or support for mortgage interest:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
You may also qualify if you have a child who is disabled, under five years old or born on or after 1 September 2021.
How do I claim the Cold Weather Payment?
You do not need to apply for the Cold Weather Payment. If you are eligible, you will get it automatically within 14 working days of each cold weather period in your area. You can check if your area has had a cold weather period by using the online tool on the GOV.UK website. You will need to enter your postcode and the date range you want to check.
How much is the Cold Weather Payment?
The Cold Weather Payment is £25 for each seven days of very cold weather in your area. Very cold weather means an average temperature of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. If your area experiences multiple periods of very cold weather, you can receive more than one payment.
We hope this article has helped you understand more about the DWP Cold Weather Payment and how it works. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.
