Cold weather payments are available to eligible households in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland during periods of extreme cold. These payments, worth £25 for each seven-day qualifying period, are triggered when local temperatures drop to 0°C or below for a week. To qualify, recipients must already be receiving certain benefits, such as income-related employment support or universal credit.
In Scotland, a separate winter heating payment is available for low-income individuals, independent of temperature conditions. The cold weather payment scheme operates from November 1 to March 31, with payments made automatically into the recipients' bank accounts within two weeks of the qualifying period.