Nearly 1.5 million households will receive cold weather benefits this year

Nearly 1.5 million households will soon receive throwaway housing Paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) This follows the freezing temperatures experienced across the UK in the first few weeks of 2026.

Areas covered nationwide include Recently hit by Storm Gorettibringing wind and snow, with temperatures as low as -12°C in some areas.

To help people survive the cold wave, DWP continues cold weather payment scheme For qualifying households. This is a one-off payment of £25, which is triggered every seven days when the temperature in an area is at or below 0 degrees.

The following are the postal code areas affected between December 30, 2025, and January 9, 2026:

In Northern Ireland, the postcodes that trigger payments are: BT24, BT25, BT26, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33 and BT34.

People should receive their payment within 14 days.

It is estimated that more than 1 million households in 802 postcodes spread across the UK, covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will receive payments. Since November 1, there have been eight trigger days as temperatures fell below freezing across the country.

Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said: “As temperatures plummet, the cold weather Payments will automatically provide direct support to vulnerable households.

“Combining the largest ever pension credit take-up exercise and our triple lock commitment – ​​which will increase state pensions by up to £2,100 during this parliament – ​​we ensure pensioner Get the support they need this winter. “

The implementation period of this plan is from November 1 of each year to March 31 of the following year. this pay Payments will be received for each period in which postal codes experience seven or more days of freezing temperatures, meaning households could receive more than one payment. Last year some people living in the Lake District received three, totaling £75.

Am I eligible for a cold weather payment?

People who qualify for cold weather benefits must receive at least one of the following:

Those who do not receive Pension Credit often also need to have a medical condition, caring responsibilities or young or disabled children.

They must also live in an area that has experienced seven days of zero or below-zero temperatures.

The DWP relies on Met Office equipment to measure temperatures in all eligible UK postcodes. If you are not satisfied with the judgment, you may appeal directly to the relevant department.

Although the affected area covers parts of Scotland, people living in the country will not receive cold weather payments. The Scottish Government has replaced the scheme with an annual plan Winter heating costs.

When will I receive payment?

Those who qualify will receive payments automatically. They should be remitted within 14 working days after the cold period to the same bank account from which they received their benefits, with the payment number being “DWP CWP”.

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

Full list of eligible postal codes

A total of 17 of the Met Office’s 71 weather stations triggered payments in the week to January 9, with 14 of them triggering payments for the first time this winter.

The station in Rostherne, Cheshire, triggered the highest number of payments (241,000), covering people living in much of east Cheshire and southern Greater Manchester.

The Morpeth weather station in Northumberland triggered around 136,000 payments, covering the whole county and large parts of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Here is the complete list of more than 700 zip codes eligible for cold weather grants:

Two payments (£50):

One time payment (£25):