DWP pays out £35m in Cold Weather Payments – how to check your area – UK Times

Nearly 1.5 million households have received 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.

Over £35 million has been spent on the scheme this year, the department has confirmed, as millions receive their cold weather payment of £25 or £50.

Areas across the nation were battered by strong winds, snow and temperatures as low as -12C in January, with difficult conditions continuing into February.

To help support people during the cold snap, the DWP ran its cold weather payment scheme for qualifying households. The 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 that have seen a payment triggered to date:

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

Work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, said: “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.”

When will I receive my cold weather payment?

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”.

This should now have passed for all payments, but those who believe they are eligible but have not received the payment should contact the DWP.

Am I eligible for a cold weather payment?

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.

Full list of eligible postcodes

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:

Two payments (£50):

One payment (£25):