Nearly 1.5 million households to receive cold weather payment this year

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

Areas across the nation reached were recently battered by Storm Goretti, which brought winds, snow and temperatures as low as -12C at points.

To help support people during the cold snap, the DWP continues to run its cold weather payment scheme for qualifying households. This is a one-off payment of £25 that is triggered for every seven-day period where the temperature of an area is at or below zero degrees.

Here are the affected postcode areas for the period of 30 December 2025 to 9 January 2026:

In Northern Ireland, postcodes where payment has been triggered are: BT24, BT25, BT26, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, and BT34.

People should then receive the payment within 14 days.

Over one million households across 802 postcode areas are now estimated to receive a payment, with these areas split across the UK, covering areas of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since 1 November, there have been eight days of triggers due to the sub-zero temperatures experienced across the country.

Pensions minister Torsten Bell said: “As temperatures plunge, cold weather payments will automatically get support directly to vulnerable households.

“Combined with the biggest ever pension credit take-up campaign and our triple lock commitment – set to increase the state pension by up to £2,100 over this parliament – we’re ensuring pensioners get the support they need this winter.”

The scheme runs from 1 November to 31 March every year. The payment is paid for every period during which a postcode area experiences seven or more days of freezing temperatures, meaning households can receive more than one payment. Several living in the Lake District received three last year, which was £75 in total.

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

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

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

The DWP relies on Met Office equipment to measure temperatures across all eligible UK postcodes. Those who disagree with the judgement are able to appeal directly to the department.

Although the affected areas cover parts of Scotland, those living in the country will not receive a cold weather payment. The Scottish government has replaced the scheme with its annual winter heating payments.

Those eligible will get the payment automatically. They should arrive in the same bank account they receive benefit payments, within 14 working days of the cold period, with the payment reference “DWP CWP”.

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

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

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

Some 136,000 payments were triggered by the weather station at Morpeth in Northumberland, covering many people across the county as well as much of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead and Sunderland.

Below is the full list of over 700 postcodes eligible for the cold weather payment: