Cold Weather Payment 


This payment is made automatically to anyone receiving certain qualifying benefits if the temperature where they live is recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days between 1 November and 31 March. 


It is worth £25 for each seven-day period of cold weather, it is different from the Winter Fuel Payments that are paid to pensioners (see page 73). 


Those eligible include those in receipt of: 


• Pension Credit; or


• Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance who have: a disability or pensioner premium; a child who is disabled; Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element; or a child under five living with them; or


• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (see page 47) who have: a severe or enhanced disability premium; a pensioner premium; a child who is disabled; Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element; or a child under five living with them.


If you are in receipt of UC, but are employed or self-employed, you are not eligible for a cold weather payment unless you have a disabled child element in your claim.