Cost of living support helps 1.5 million pensioners and low-income households with winter bills

Almost 1.5 million households have received a £25 Cold Weather Payment since December, providing vital cost of living support to help people stay warm during cold weather.

Over £35 million has been paid to vulnerable households across England and Wales this winter, helping those eligible – such as low-income pensioners and families with young children – pay their bills.
It is just one of the ways the Government is supporting households with essential costs, which includes: increasing the national living wage; cutting energy bills by £150; the removal of the two-child limit; and for over nine million pensioners, a £300 Winter Fuel Payment.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 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.

Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said:

Almost 1.5 million households have already benefited from Cold Weather Payments this winter, with support reaching those who need it most.

In addition, our biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign and our Triple Lock commitment, which will see the State Pension increase by up to £2,100 over this Parliament, are ensuring pensioners get the support they need this winter.

Cold Weather Payments are made automatically when temperatures drop to zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days. Those receiving Pension Credit automatically qualify for the payments, but some households in receipt of other support – including Universal Credit and Income Support – may also be eligible if they meet additional criteria.

Pensioners on low incomes can apply for Pension Credit, worth on average £86 a week on average, which also provides access to other support including help with housing costs and free NHS dental treatment.

The Government’s biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign has seen thousands more pensioners claim the support they are entitled to. A new trial to boost take up in partnership with Age UK and Independent Age ran last year with letters sent to 2,000 pensioners identified as being the most likely to be eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming the benefit. In addition, the Triple Lock will ensure millions of pensioners are set to see their State Pension rise by up to £2,100 over the course of this Parliament.

Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age said:

Cold Weather Payments can be a lifeline during cold snaps. With more than half of older people on low incomes across England and Wales regularly sharing that they are worried about meeting the cost of their heating bill, it is crucial that vital support like this reaches those who need it most

We welcome this £35 million investment from the UK Government to support people of all ages struggling to heat their homes and look forward to continuing to work with the Government to ensure older people on low incomes receive the financial support they need.

The weather stations that have been triggered to date are:

• Albemarle – DH1, DH6, DH7, DH8, DH9, DL4, DL5, DL14, DL15, DL16, DL17, NE18, NE20, NE44, NE45, NE46, TS21, TS28, TS29
• Andrewsfield – CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CB10, CB11, CB21, CB22, CB23, CB24, CB25, CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM5, CM6, CM7, CM8, CM9, CM11, CM12, CM13, CM14, CM15, CM16, CM17, CM18, CM19, CM20, CM21, CM22, CM23, CM24, CM77, CO9, RM4, SG8, SG9, SG10, SG11
• Bainbridge – BD23, BD24, DL8, DL11, DL12, DL13
• Benson – HP5, HP6, HP7, HP8, HP9, HP10, HP11, HP12, HP13, HP14, HP15, HP16, HP17, HP18, HP19, HP20, HP21, HP22, HP23, HP27, OX9, OX10, OX33, OX39, OX44, OX49, RG9, SL7, SL8, SL9
• Bingley – BB4, BB8, BB9, BB10, BB11, BB12, BB18, BD1, BD2, BD3, BD4, BD5, BD6, BD7, BD8, BD9, BD10, BD11, BD12, BD13, BD14, BD15, BD16, BD17, BD18, BD19, BD20, BD21, BD22, HD3, HD7, HD8, HD9, HX1, HX2, HX3, HX4, HX5, HX6, HX7, LS21, LS29, OL13, OL14, S36
• Carlisle – CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, CA8, DG16
• Charlwood – BN5, BN6, BN44, GU5, GU6, ME6, ME14, ME15, ME16, ME17, ME18, ME19, ME20, RH1, RH2, RH3, RH4, RH5, RH6, RH7, RH8, RH9, RH10, RH11, RH12, RH13, RH14, RH15, RH16, RH17, RH18, RH19, RH20, TN1, TN2, TN3, TN4, TN5, TN6, TN7, TN8, TN9, TN10, TN11, TN12, TN13, TN14, TN15, TN16, TN17, TN18, TN19, TN20, TN22, TN27
• Charterhall – NE71, TD5, TD12, TD15
• Eskdalemuir – DG14, TD9
• Hurn – BH1, BH2, BH3, BH4, BH5, BH6, BH7, BH8, BH9, BH10, BH11, BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17, BH18, BH19, BH20, BH21, BH22, BH23, BH24, BH25, BH31, DT1, DT2, DT11, SP6
• Keele – CW1, CW2, CW3, CW5, CW12, SK10, SK11, ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7, ST12, ST14, ST15, ST16, ST17, ST18, ST19, ST20, ST21
• Lake Vyrnwy – LL20, LL21, LL23, SY10, SY15, SY16, SY17, SY19, SY21, SY22
• Leek Thorncliffe – DE4, DE6, DE45, S32, S33, SK13, SK17, SK22, SK23, ST8, ST9, ST10, ST11, ST13
• Leeming – DL1, DL2, DL3, DL6, DL7, DL9, DL10, TS9, TS15, TS16, YO7
• Libanus – CF37, CF38, CF39, CF40, CF41, CF42, CF43, CF44, CF45, CF46, CF47, CF48, CF81, CF82, CF83, LD3, NP4, NP11, NP12, NP13, NP22, NP23, NP24, NP44
• Little Rissington – CV36, GL54, GL55, GL56, OX7, OX15, OX16, OX17, WR12
• Llysdinam – LD1, LD2, LD4, LD5, LD6, LD7, LD8, SA19, SA20, SY7, SY9, SY18
• Loftus – SR7, SR8, TS1, TS2, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS6, TS7, TS8, TS10, TS11, TS12, TS13, TS14, TS17, TS18, TS19, TS20, TS22, TS23, TS24, TS25, TS26, TS27, YO13, YO17, YO18, YO21, YO22, YO62
• Marham – CB6, CB7, IP24, IP25, IP26, IP27, IP28, PE12, PE13, PE14, PE30, PE31, PE32, PE33, PE34, PE35, PE36, PE37, PE38
• Morpeth, Cockle Park – DH2, DH3, DH4, DH5, NE1, NE2, NE3, NE4, NE5, NE6, NE7, NE8, NE9, NE10, NE11, NE12, NE13, NE15, NE16, NE17, NE21, NE22, NE23, NE24, NE25, NE26, NE27, NE28, NE29, NE30, NE31, NE32, NE33, NE34, NE35, NE36, NE37, NE38, NE39, NE40, NE41, NE42, NE43, NE61, NE62, NE63, NE64, NE65, NE66, NE67, NE68, NE69, NE70, SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5, SR6
• Redesdale – CA9, NE19, NE47, NE48, NE49
• Rochdale – BL0, BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL6, BL7, BL8, BL9, M24, M26, OL1, OL2, OL3, OL4, OL5, OL6, OL7, OL8, OL9, OL10, OL11, OL12, OL15, OL16, SK15
• Rostherne – CW4, CW6, CW7, CW8, CW9, CW10, CW11, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M11, M12, M13, M14, M15, M16, M17, M18, M19, M20, M21, M22, M23, M25, M27, M28, M29, M30, M31, M32, M33, M34, M35, M38, M40, M41, M43, M44, M45, M46, M50, M90, PR7, SK1, SK2, SK3, SK4, SK5, SK6, SK7, SK8, SK9, SK12, SK14, SK16, WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4, WA5, WA6, WA7, WA8, WA9, WA10, WA11, WA12, WA13, WA14, WA15, WA16, WN1, WN2, WN3, WN4, WN5, WN6, WN7, WN8
• Rothamsted – AL1, AL2, AL3, AL4, AL5, AL6, AL7, AL8, AL9, AL10, EN6, HP1, HP2, HP3, HP4, LU1, LU2, LU3, LU4, LU5, LU6, LU7, SG1, SG2, SG3, SG4, SG12, SG13, SG14, WD3, WD4, WD5, WD6, WD7, WD17, WD18, WD19, WD23, WD24, WD25
• Shap – CA10, CA11, CA12, CA16, CA17, LA8, LA9, LA10, LA21, LA22, LA23
• Shawbury – SY1, SY2, SY3, SY4, SY5, SY6, SY11, SY12, SY13, TF1, TF2, TF3, TF4, TF5, TF6, TF7, TF8, TF9, TF10, TF11, TF12, TF13
• Stowe – MK18, NN1, NN2, NN3, NN4, NN5, NN6, NN7, NN11, NN12, NN13
• Tibenham Airfield – NR1, NR2, NR3, NR4, NR5, NR6, NR7, NR8, NR9, NR10, NR11, NR12, NR13, NR14, NR15, NR16, NR17, NR18, NR19, NR20, NR21, NR22, NR23, NR24, NR25, NR26, NR27, NR28, NR29, NR30, NR31, NR32, NR33, NR34, NR35
• Wattisham – CB8, CB9, CO1, CO2, CO3, CO4, CO5, CO6, CO7, CO8, CO10, CO11, CO12, CO13, CO14, CO15, CO16, IP1, IP2, IP3, IP4, IP5, IP6, IP7, IP8, IP9, IP10, IP11, IP12, IP13, IP14, IP15, IP16, IP17, IP18, IP19, IP20, IP21, IP22, IP23, IP29, IP30, IP31, IP32, IP33
• Wittering – LE15, NN14, NN15, NN16, NN17, NN18, PE1, PE2, PE3, PE4, PE5, PE6, PE7, PE8, PE9, PE15, PE16, PE26, PE27, PE28, PE29
• Woburn – MK1, MK2, MK3, MK4, MK5, MK6, MK7, MK8, MK9, MK10, MK11, MK12, MK13, MK14, MK15, MK16, MK17, MK19, MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45, MK46, NN8, NN9, NN10, NN29, PE19, SG5, SG6, SG7, SG15, SG16, SG17, SG18, SG19

Additional information:

• An estimated over £35 million in Cold Weather Payments has been issued to eligible households in England and Wales so far this winter, with final figures to be confirmed at the end of the payment season in March 2026.
• People do not need to apply for Cold Weather Payments. Payments are made automatically to eligible households within 14 working days of a cold weather trigger.
• Payments of £25 are made when the average temperature in a postcode area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.
• The Cold Weather Payment scheme runs from 1 November 2025 to 31 March 2026.
• All those receiving Pension Credit are eligible for Cold Weather Payments. Those receiving Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Support for Mortgage Interest may also be eligible if they meet additional criteria relating to employment status, health conditions, disability, or caring responsibilities for young or disabled children.
• People in Scotland cannot receive Cold Weather Payments but may be eligible for an annual Winter Heating Payment instead. For more information: Winter Heating Payment – mygov.scot
• For further information on Cold Weather Payments: Cold Weather Payment: Overview – GOV.UK
• Cold Weather Payments do not affect other benefit entitlements.