The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the full list of payments before Christmas 2026 and when recipients will get paid. Millions of people across the UK could receive extra financial support in the lead-up to the festive season, including the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payment, Christmas Bonus, Warm Home Discount and the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF).
Winter Fuel Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment ranges between £100 and £300 to help households cover heating costs. The DWP sends out payments in November and December, and the money is sent automatically. Recipients should receive a letter beforehand and be paid into the bank account their benefits are usually paid into. The amount received is based on a number of circumstances.
To receive the Winter Fuel Payment, you must be born on or before June 27, 1960. The amount you receive is based on when you were born and your circumstances between September 21 to 27, 2026, referred to as Qualifying Week. If you already receive State Pension, Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Awards from the War Pensions Scheme, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit or Industrial Death Benefit, you will get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically.
If you do not get any of these benefits, you need to claim if either of the following apply: you’ve not got the Winter Fuel Payment before, or you’ve deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment.
Cold Weather Payment
The DWP issues the automatic Cold Weather Payment to certain groups of people when temperatures fall below freezing during the winter months. You may get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting certain benefits or Support for Mortgage Interest. If you’re eligible, you’ll get these payments automatically and do not need to apply, but you may need to report a change in circumstances if you have a baby or if a child under five comes to live with you. The payments do not affect your other benefits.
You’ll get a payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days. You’ll get £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between November 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. You may get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest.
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. Tell the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus if you think you should have got a Cold Weather Payment but you have not.
Warm Home Discount and Christmas Bonus
If you're eligible for the Warm Home Discount, you'll automatically get a £150 discount off your electricity bill. There are different ways to qualify depending on where you live. You may be eligible if all of the following applied on August 23, 2026: your energy supplier is part of the scheme, you (or your partner) get certain means-tested benefits, and your name (or your partner’s) is on the electricity bill. The qualifying means-tested benefits are Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Pension Credit.
You’ll get a letter between late October 2026 and early January 2027 if you’re eligible for the scheme, or if you might be eligible but need to give more information. Contact the Warm Home Discount Scheme if you do not get a letter by early January 2027. If you’re eligible, your letter will confirm you do not need to do anything. Your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill by March 31, 2027, with most payments applied between November 2026 and January 2027.
The Christmas Bonus is a one-off payment of £10. It is paid automatically to those who qualify, meaning recipients do not need to submit any formal application. Eligibility is strictly determined by whether an individual receives a qualifying benefit during a specific “qualifying week”, typically defined by the DWP as the first full week in December. To receive the Christmas Bonus, you must be present or be an “ordinarily resident” of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. Claimants can generally expect the bonus to arrive in their bank accounts around the beginning of December, though the DWP does not guarantee a precise payment date.
Crisis and Resilience Fund
You may be able to get help with essential costs from your local council if you’re struggling to afford things like energy and water bills, food, essential items or housing costs. In England, this support is known as the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Funding is aimed at anyone who’s vulnerable or cannot pay for essentials, and you do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council.
You can find out more information from your local council. Councils decide how to run their schemes, and there may be differences in eligibility criteria, if or how you need to apply, or who money is given to.
