State pensioners can get an extra £25 payment every week from this month until March 2026 thanks to a little known DWP benefit.
Across the entire winter, it can mean hundreds of pounds of extra support dropping into your bank account with Cold Weather Payments.
And there’s an easy way to check if you’re likely to qualify for the money, simply by checking for a code on your bank statement.
Cold Weather Payments are paid to households every time the weather drops to 0C, or is forecast to drop to 0C, or below for a period of seven days in a row.
The scheme runs from November 1 to March 31 for households in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish households have a different scheme, known as Winter Heating Payments.
According to the DWP, households can qualify if they are claiming one of six benefits including Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest.
You can check if you’re receiving the right benefits and will definitely get the payments this winter by looking at your bank statements.
There will be one of several codes on your statement if you do indeed qualify.
If you’re over state pension age and have seen any of these payment codes printed on your bank statement, then you will likely qualify.
DWP PC or DWP PCGC – this is Pension Credit, which will qualify you for the Cold Weather Payments.
Universal Credit’s code is DWP UC, while Income Related Employment and Support Allowance is DWP ESA on your bank statement. You don’t need to be a state pensioner to be in receipt of these.
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance will appear as DWP JSA, while Income Support is DWP IS and, again, you don’t need to be a pensioner to get these.
The DWP says: “If you’re eligible to get Cold Weather Payments, you’ll get £25 for each seven-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.”