DWP Cold Weather Payments £25 cold snap, Digi Mart USA News (United Kingdom): Temperatures are set to fall below freezing over the next 48 hours with the arrival of the first cold snap of the autumn. Sub-zero conditions could be felt in parts of the UK overnight between Thursday and Saturday.
The plunging temperatures, potentially as low as -7C in the worst-hit areas, could come as a shock to many during mid-November. The cold snap could result in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) handing out the first Cold Weather Payments of this autumn.
Emergency payments worth £25 are given to lower-income households receiving certain benefits during very cold periods of weather. Qualifying benefits are Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Support for Mortgage Interest.
Payments are determined by temperatures at local weather stations rather than across the country at once.
People living in areas that generally get colder, such as rural towns or higher ground, are more likely to receive payments. Money is usually handed out when cold weather persists for seven consecutive days, but payments can also be triggered if temperatures fall particularly low to help ensure vulnerable people can keep the heating on.
The government says eligible people will receive these payments automatically and do not need to apply. However, recipients may need to report a change in circumstances if they have a baby or if a child under 5 comes to live with them.
The payments do not affect other benefits.
A payment is triggered if the average temperature in an area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. Recipients receive £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.
