Nearly 1.5 million households to receive cold weather payment this year

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

Areas across the country were recently battered by Storm Goretti, which brought wind, snow and temperatures as low as -12C in some spots.

To support people during the cold period, DWP continues to roll out its 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 postcode areas affected for the period 30 December 2025 to 9 January 2026 are:

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

People should then receive payment within 14 days.

It is estimated that more than one million households in the 802 zip code area will now receive a payment; These areas are divided across the UK, including parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Triggers have occurred for eight days due to sub-zero temperatures across the country since November 1.

Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said: “As temperatures drop, cold weather payments will automatically receive direct support to vulnerable households.

“Together with the biggest ever pension credit raising campaign and our triple key commitment to increase the state pension by up to £2,100 this parliament, we are ensuring pensioners get the support they need this winter.”

The program is valid from 1 November to 31 March every year. The payment is paid for each period in which a zip code area experiences freezing temperatures for seven or more days; This means households can receive more than one payment. Many people living in the Lake District received three grants totaling £75 last year.

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.

When will I receive 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.

Those who think they are eligible but have not received payment should contact the DWP.

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):