Overview
- Payments are made for each seven-day period when a local average of 0°C or below is recorded or forecast between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026.
- Money is paid automatically into the same account as benefits and should arrive within 14 working days after a local trigger.
- Eligibility covers recipients of Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Support for Mortgage Interest.
- UKHSA has issued cold-health alerts for northern England this week and Met Office snow and ice warnings increase the likelihood of postcode triggers.
- Scotland uses a separate Winter Heating Payment and Northern Ireland has confirmed the scheme is running for the same dates, while academics are urging advance delivery via suppliers and larger payments during extreme lows.