The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has activated Cold Weather Payments for hundreds of thousands of households as a severe cold snap grips the nation. Following a frosty start to 2026, over 450 postcode areas are now eligible for the automatic £25 support.
What Are Cold Weather Payments?
The DWP scheme provides a financial boost to help with heating bills when temperatures are recorded or forecast to be 0°C or below for seven consecutive days. The payment is an automatic bank transfer of £25, triggered by data from specific weather stations linked to recipients' postcodes.
This support is available to people in England and Wales who receive certain benefits. These include Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, and Support for Mortgage Interest.
Latest Areas Added to the Scheme
Over the past weekend, ten more postcode districts were added to the growing list of triggered areas. The latest locations to qualify are primarily in Wales and the Welsh borders.
The newly added postcodes are:
- LL20: Llangollen, Wales
- LL21: Corwen, Wales
- LL23: Gwynedd, Wales
- SY10: Oswestry, Shropshire
- SY15: Shrewsbury and surrounding areas
- SY16: Newtown, Wales and surrounding areas
- SY17: Caersws, Wales and surrounding areas
- SY19: Llanbrynmair, Wales
- SY21: Welshpool, Wales
- SY22: Llanfechain, Wales
These join the 441 areas across England and Wales where payments were triggered last week. Large swathes of the South East, South Wales, and Yorkshire were already included.
Nationwide Impact of the Cold Snap
The payments come as the UK endures a period of exceptionally cold weather. The Met Office has issued snow and ice warnings across the country, while the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has an active cold-health alert covering all of England.
The UKHSA alert indicates that health and social care services are likely to experience significant additional demand until at least 9 January. The agency also warns of a potential spike in deaths linked to the plummeting temperatures.
Last week, estimates suggested that around 674,000 households would be eligible for the £25 payment, meaning a substantial portion of the population will receive help with heating costs this week.
How Payments Are Made and Full Postcode List
The DWP confirms that payments are automatic for eligible recipients. The money should appear in bank accounts within 14 days of the trigger date. No application is necessary.
The scheme is linked to designated weather stations. When a station records the required seven-day freeze, all eligible postcodes associated with that station qualify for the payment.
The full list of postcode areas confirmed for payments on Friday 2 January and New Year's Day is extensive. It includes areas triggered by weather stations such as Rothamsted in Hertfordshire, Bingley in West Yorkshire, Charlwood in Surrey, and Libanus in South Wales, among others.
Key triggered areas from the wider list include:
- Large parts of Hertfordshire (AL, EN, HP, LU, SG, WD postcodes)
- Areas of West Yorkshire and Lancashire (BB, BD, HD, HX, LS, OL postcodes)
- Locations across Surrey, Sussex, and Kent (BN, GU, ME, RH, TN postcodes)
- Postcodes in Cambridgeshire and Essex (CB, CM, CO, IP, SG postcodes)
- Areas of Norfolk and Suffolk (IP, NR, PE postcodes)
- Parts of South Wales (CF, LD, NP postcodes)
- Districts in the Midlands (DE, SK, ST postcodes)
- Areas in the North East (DH, DL, NE, TS postcodes)
- Locations across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire (HP, MK, NN, OX, RG, SL postcodes)
Residents in these areas who receive qualifying benefits should check their bank accounts for the automatic payment in the coming days. The support offers a vital lifeline as the country battles the coldest weather of the winter so far.
