Find out what they are, how you qualify – and everything else you need to know.
Cold Weather Payments are a government grant. If you’re eligible, you’ll get an automatic payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0 degrees celsius or below for 7 consecutive days.
Cold Weather Payments are different to Winter Fuel Payments.
The 2017 to 2018 Cold Weather Payments Scheme is now running. You can check if your area is due a payment by
searching with your postcode
You may get a Cold Weather Payment if you’re getting:
Pension Credit
You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Pension Credit.
Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and have any of the following:
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get income-related ESA and have any of the following:
Universal Credit
You’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you get Universal Credit, you’re not employed or self-employed and one of the following apply:
You’ll also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you are employed or not.
If you have a baby, or a child under 5 comes to live with you
If you recieve Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and:
You need to tell Jobcentre Plus. You won’t automatically get Cold Weather Payments if you don’t.
If you’re eligible, you’ll get a payment of £25 for each 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March.
You’ll be able to check if your area is due a payment in November 2017 by
searching with your postcode.
No, Cold Weather Payments are not taxable.
You can read more information about the eligibility criteria for income support or Job Seekers Allowance
here.
Tell your pension centre or Jobcentre Plus office if you think you should have received a Cold Weather Payment but you haven’t. This may be due to hospital stays, as these can also affect your payment.
If you’re getting Universal Credit, contact the helpline instead.
Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0345 600 0723
Textphone: 0345 600 0743
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
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