Households on 6 DWP benefits urged to check bank statements for £25 payments | Personal Finance | Finance
UK households receiving one of six benefits are being urged to check for £25 landing in their bank statements from this month. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officially resumed issuing Cold Weather Payments from November 1, 2025, and these are paid automatically to anyone who is eligible after seven days of freezing conditions. Temperatures are forecast to drop below zero in parts of the UK this week as snow and ice is forecast across large swathes of the country, meaning the £25 payments could be triggered.
The Met Office has said a cold spell will sweep the UK as Arctic air moves in bringing snow, ice, sharp frosts and unsettled conditions. Multiple yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are currently in place affecting Northern Ireland, parts of Wales, northern and southwest parts of England and much of Scotland, with up to 5cm of snow possible at lower levels.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Cold Arctic air from the north is firmly in charge of the UK’s weather, bringing the first notable cold snap of this autumn and giving an early taste of winter weather.
“As a result, winter hazards are likely through the next few days, with snow and ice a particular hazard, and the coldest conditions likely on Wednesday and Thursday. Wintry showers will affect areas exposed to the brisk northerly wind, in particular Northern Ireland, southwest Wales, southwest England, northeast England and across the northern half of Scotland.
“Whilst not all places will see lying snow, where showers are most frequent accumulations of 2-5 cm will be possible. On higher ground in Scotland, 15-20 cm could accumulate, and potentially as much as 15-25 cm over the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds.
Temperatures are well below average for the time of year and could get as low as -11°C in rural parts of Scotland on Thursday night, with daytime temperatures generally in low single figures for many. With clear skies, overnight ice could create some particularly tricky travel conditions.”
Cold Weather Payments, which are worth £25 per week, are triggered when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below for seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible household’s postcode. The payments are then paid automatically to those who are eligible to help cover heating costs over the winter period.
The DWP will start issuing the payments from this month and the money will appear on bank statements within 14 days of each seven-day period of cold weather between November 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026. The payment will be issued to the same bank or building society account that benefits are usually paid into.
The DWP has confirmed that households receiving any of the following six benefits will be eligible for Cold Weather Payments:
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit
- Support for Mortgage Interest
You do not need to apply to get Cold Weather Payments as you will be paid if you’re eligible.
The DWP said: “If you’re eligible to get Cold Weather Payments, you’ll get £25 for each 7-day period of very cold weather between 1 November 2025 and 31 March 2026.
“After each period of very cold weather in your area, you should get a payment within 14 working days. It’s paid into the same bank or building society account as your benefit payments.
“If you do not get your Cold Weather Payments, tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you think you should have got a Cold Weather Payment but you have not.”
