Glossary · UK
What is Cold Weather Payment?
A GBP payment made to people on certain benefits when the local temperature is recorded or forecast at or below freezing for seven consecutive days.
Full Definition
A Cold Weather Payment is a one-off payment from the UK government to help eligible people with heating costs during very cold spells. It is triggered when the average temperature at your local weather station is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0 degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days between 1 November and 31 March. You normally qualify automatically if you receive Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, or Support for Mortgage Interest, and meet the relevant conditions (such as having a disability or a young child). Payments are made for each qualifying seven-day period and arrive automatically into the same account that pays your benefit. It matters because it gives targeted help to vulnerable households during severe weather. The exact payment amount per period is set by the government, so check gov.uk for the current rate rather than assuming it.