DWP Cold Weather Payments 2026-27 for people on qualifying benefits, Digi Mart USA News (United Kingdom): Officials at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have issued newly updated easy-read advice for people who may want to claim Cold Weather Payments. 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 on qualifying benefits receive the money if the average temperature in their area is recorded or forecast to be 0C or below for seven consecutive days. The period started on November 1 and runs until March 31.
Payments are made automatically into the same bank account as the qualifying benefit within 14 working days of each qualifying cold period, and do not affect other benefits.
Personal finance commentator Martin Lewis warned this week, based on Money Saving Expert analysis, that households could face energy price hikes of almost 30% in January. The UK energy price cap rose by 3.6% (rounded to 4%) on October 1, pushing the average annual bill for a typical dual-fuel household paying by monthly Direct Debit to £1,723.
Lewis said predictions of a rise of over 20% in January are likely to significantly underestimate the true impact.
You usually qualify if you receive one of the following benefits: Pension Credit; income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); Universal Credit with specific criteria such as a disability, a health condition with limited capability for work, or a child under 5; or Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI).
If you are not in either group, you may still qualify if you have a severe or enhanced disability premium, a pensioner premium, a disabled child, or a child under 5 living with you.
If you are eligible, you will receive £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, typically within 14 working days after each period, paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.
If you believe you should have received a Cold Weather Payment but did not, 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; the number is on letters about their claim.
Pension Credit recipients should 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 received the £25 Cold Weather Payment since December. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said at the time: “This support is a lifeline for vulnerable households when temperatures plummet.
Combined with our wider cost of living support – including a higher National Living Wage, £150 off energy bills, and a £300 Winter Fuel Payment for over nine million pensioners – these measures are making a real difference to households across the country.”
Pensioners on low incomes can apply for Pension Credit, worth on average £86 a week, which 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. With more than half of older people on low incomes across England and Wales regularly sharing that they are worried about meeting the cost of their heating bill, it is crucial that vital support like this reaches those who need it most.”
Independent Age welcomed “this £35 million investment from the UK Government to support people of all ages struggling to heat their homes” and said it looks forward to continuing to work with the government to ensure older people on low incomes receive the financial support they need.
