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Warm home discount
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Cold weather payments
Get £25 during freezing weather
Updated 8 March 2023
With the cold weather payment, you can get £25 to help with heating bills for each seven-day period of freezing weather. We've full info below on who can get it, how to apply, and how to check if you're due a payment.
Also see: Energy Bills Help | Energy Grants | Cheap Gas & Elec | Cheap Prepaid Gas & Elec | Low Income Grants | Debt Help
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What is the cold weather payment?
The cold weather payment is a grant paid by the Government to older people and those on certain benefits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to help pay for heating costs when temperatures hit zero and below in your area (if you live in Scotland, there's a similar, separate scheme)
If you're eligible, you'll get £25 each time the average temperature in your area is – or is forecast to be – 0°C or below for seven days in a row between 1 November and 31 March.
Who's eligible for cold weather payments?
You'll usually get the payments if you get pension credit and do not live in a care home.
You also may get it if you receive income support, jobseeker's allowance, universal credit or receive some support with mortgage interest payments. Whether you're eligible depends on your circumstances:
- Income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance. You'll be eligible if you have a disability or pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, get child tax credits that includes a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under five living with you.
- Income-related employment and support allowance. You'll be eligible if you have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a child who is disabled, get child tax credits that includes a disability or severe disability element, or you have a child under five living with you.
- Universal credit. You'll be eligible if you have a health condition or disability and have a limited capability for work, or you have a child under five living with you.
See the full eligibility criteria.
£50 Winter Heating Payment replaces the Cold Weather Payment in Scotland
If you live in Scotland, you'll no longer be eligible for the cold weather payment as it has now been replaced by what's known as the Winter Heating Payment. Instead of a payment based on weather conditions, all eligible households will get a flat £50 each year to help with heating bills.
Eligibility is exactly the same as the cold weather payment scheme, but you'll need to be receiving a qualifying benefit on at least one day between Monday 7 November and Sunday 13 November 2022. You’ll receive a letter from Social Security Scotland before they make the payment.
The Scottish Government will start making payments to eligible households throughout February and March 2023. The payment will be made into the same bank account you receive your qualifying benefit, and will have a reference that includes 'WHP', which stands for Winter Heating Payment. See our winter heating payment news story for more info.
If you think you're eligible for the Winter Heating Payment but haven't received a letter from Social Security Scotland to say you'll be getting it, you should call 0800 182 2222, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
It should be paid automatically – there's no need to claim
You don't need to anything to get the payments, if you're eligible you should be paid automatically for any seven-day period of freezing weather.
You should get the money within 14 days of each cold weather period, and it will be paid into the same bank or building society as your benefit or pension payments.
Cold weather payments checker – find out if you're due a payment
If you're not sure whether the temperature has met the threshold, the Government has a handy online postcode checker.
All you need to do is enter the first part of your postcode, and it will let you know if any payments are due in your area.
Not got your payment?
If you've not got you cold weather payment, but think you're eligible, let you local pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office know. They can check and sort it out for you.
If you're on universal credit, you can sign in to your online account and add a note to your journal, or give the universal credit helpline a call on 0800 328 9344 instead.
Other grants and ways to cut your energy bill
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