DWP Cold Weather Payments for people on certain benefits, Digi Mart USA News (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued newly updated easy-read advice for people who may wish to claim Cold Weather Payments, according to a report in The Mirror. A Cold Weather Payment is a £25 government grant paid to help with heating costs during freezing spells in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
People receiving five kinds of benefit can receive the money if the average temperature in their area is recorded or forecast to be 0C or below for seven consecutive days. The payment period runs from November 1 to March 31.
The payment is made automatically into the same bank account as the qualifying benefit, within 14 working days of each qualifying cold period, and does not affect other benefits.
The report also notes that personal finance commentator Martin Lewis warned this week that households could face energy price increases of almost 30% by January, based on Money Saving Expert analysis. The UK energy price cap rose by 3.6% (rounded to 4%) on October 1, bringing the average annual bill for a typical dual-fuel household paying by monthly Direct Debit to £1,723.
Lewis said earlier forecasts of rises above 20% in January were likely to underestimate the true impact.
People usually qualify if they receive Pension Credit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit with specific criteria such as a disability, a health condition limiting capability for work, or a child under 5, or Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). Those not in these groups may still qualify if they have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under 5 living with them.
Eligible people receive £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, with payment due within 14 working days after each period. Anyone who believes they should have received a payment but did not can contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus.
Universal Credit claimants can sign in to their account and add a note to their journal, or call the Universal Credit helpline if they do not have an online account. Pension Credit claimants can contact the Pension Service helpline at 0800 731 0469; users who cannot hear or speak on the phone can use Relay UK by dialing 18001 followed by 0800 731 0469.
Last February, the DWP said almost 1.5 million households had received the £25 payment since December. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said at the time that the support was a lifeline for vulnerable households when temperatures plummet, and pointed to other cost-of-living measures including a higher National Living Wage, £150 off energy bills, and a £300 Winter Fuel Payment for over nine million pensioners.
Pensioners on low incomes can apply for Pension Credit, which is worth on average £86 a week and also provides access to other support, including help with housing costs and free NHS dental treatment. Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, said Cold Weather Payments can be a lifeline during cold snaps and that it is crucial such support reaches those who need it most, noting that more than half of older people on low incomes across England and Wales regularly worry about meeting their heating bills.
Independent Age welcomed a £35 million investment from the UK Government to help people of all ages struggling to heat their homes.
