Cold Weather Payment

A Cold Weather Payment is paid automatically when the average temperature is, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees centigrade or below over seven consecutive days. To qualify you must satisfy the criteria for receipt.

The Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office will advertise when a payment is applicable.

To receive a cold weather payment you must be receiving Pension Credit / Income Support / Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) for one day in the period of cold weather and be receiving one of the following premiums:

Details about temperatures are provided through a network of Meteorological Office weather stations which are each linked to a number of post code districts.

A Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office area may cover one or more weather stations, depending on the post code districts.

Every day from November to March the Met Office informs the Department about the recorded data for each weather station, and forecasts the average temperature over the next 7 days. Payments are made when the average mean temperature is recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0 degrees centigrade or below over any 7 consecutive days.

When a cold weather payment period occurs the Social Security Agency ensures sufficient publicity takes place.

£8.50 per Cold Weather Period.

There is no need to make a claim. Payments are made automatically by the Income Support Computer System or Jobseeker's Allowance Payment System. A small number of cases are paid clerically by the Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.

All capital is ignored for Cold Weather Payment purposes.