Overview
- An additional 10 areas were activated on January 3, taking the total to 451, with the DWP estimating around 674,000 households will benefit across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- The scheme pays £25 for each seven-day period when local average temperatures are recorded or forecast at 0°C or below between November 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.
- Payments are made automatically into the same account as benefits and can recur for multiple qualifying weeks; missing payments should be queried via the Pension Service, Jobcentre Plus or a Universal Credit journal.
- Eligibility is linked to certain benefits, including Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Support for Mortgage Interest, subject to household circumstances.
- Recent triggers have focused on parts of the South East, South Wales and Yorkshire, while areas linked to the Heathrow weather station, Birmingham and Manchester were not included, and further activations remain possible as the cold snap and official alerts continue.