DWP pays out £35m in Cold Weather Payments – how to check your area

Nearly 1.5 million households received a one-off payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) following freezing temperatures across the UK in the first weeks of 2026.

The department confirmed more than £35 million has been spent on the scheme this year, with millions of people receiving cold weather payments of £25 or £50.

Regions across the country were hit by strong winds, snow and temperatures as low as -12C in January, and the challenging conditions continued into February.

To help support people during the cold period, DWP has introduced a cold weather payment scheme for eligible households. This is a one-off payment of £25 that is triggered for every seven-day period when an area’s temperature is at or below zero degrees.

The affected postcode areas that have triggered payments to date are:

Postcodes in Northern Ireland where payment is triggered are: BT24, BT25, BT26, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33 and BT34.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “This support is a lifeline for vulnerable households when temperatures plummet.

“Combined with our wider cost of living support, including a higher National Living Wage, a £150 discount on energy bills and a £300 Winter Fuel Payment for over nine million pensioners, these measures make a real difference to households across the country.”

When will I receive my cold weather payment?

Those who are eligible will receive the payment automatically. They must contact the bank account from which they received their benefit payments with the payment reference “DWP CWP” within 14 working days of the cold spell.

This should now apply to all payments, but those who think they are eligible but have not received the payment should contact the DWP.

Am I eligible for a cold weather payment?

Those eligible for a cold weather payment must receive at least one of the following:

Those who do not receive pension credit will also need to have a health condition, caring responsibilities or young or disabled children.

They also need to live in an area that experiences zero or sub-zero temperatures for seven days.

DWP relies on Met Office equipment to measure temperatures in all eligible UK postcodes. Those who do not agree with the decision can appeal directly to the ministry.

Although the affected areas include parts of Scotland, there will be no cold weather payments for those living in the country. The Scottish government changed this plan annually. winter heating payments.

Complete list of eligible postal codes

A total of 17 of the Met Office’s 71 weather stations triggered the charge in the week ending January 9, 14 for the first time this winter.

The highest number of payments (241,000) were triggered by the station in Rostherne in Cheshire and covered people living across much of east Cheshire and south Greater Manchester.

Nearly 136,000 payments were triggered by the weather station at Morpeth in Northumberland, covering large parts of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland, as well as many in the county.

Below is the full list of more than 700 zip codes eligible for cold weather payments:

Two payments (£50):

One payment (£25):