Emergency Support for Extreme Weather
Energy Advice
- The Cold Weather Payment gives you £25 for each 7-day period under 0°C from 1st Nov 2025 to 31st Mar 2026 and is paid automatically
- England’s Household Support Fund offers council-run help with essentials like energy and food until 31st Mar 2026
- The Warm Homes Discount and the Priority Services Register provide free extra support from energy companies. LEAP can check your status, help you access funds and provide tailored energy-saving advice.
When the temperature drops it can quickly become a health risk at home, especially if you have a health condition, you’re on a tight budget, or both. Here’s a simple run-through of some of the help available this winter, which you may not be aware of, plus how LEAP can guide you to the right support for your situation.
Cold Weather Payment
If the average temperature in your area is recorded as (or forecast to be) 0°C or below for 7 consecutive days, you’ll get £25 for each 7-day period between 1st November 2025 and 31st March 2026. Payments usually arrive within 14 working days and go into the same account as your benefits.
It’s automatic if you’re on certain benefits (for example, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Universal Credit or Support for Mortgage Interest). Some benefits have extra conditions, such as having a child under 5 or a disability.
Good news - you don’t apply. If you qualify, DWP pays you automatically. If you think you’ve missed a payment, contact the Pension Service or Jobcentre Plus, or add a note in your Universal Credit journal. You can also check if your postcode has triggered a payment using the official checker. (There’s a separate checker for Northern Ireland.)
Cold Weather Payments don’t run in Scotland. Instead there’s the Winter Heating Payment, a one-off annual payment that’s not weather-dependent and is paid automatically if you’re eligible.
Household Support Fund: Support through your council
If you’re struggling with essentials like energy, food or other urgent costs, your local council may be able to help via the Household Support Fund. The fund is running in England until 31st March 2026, with councils deciding how to allocate help locally (cash, vouchers or direct support). The quickest route is to check your council’s website.
The help varies by area and can change during the year as funding is used, so it might be a good idea to ask LEAP to support you with the process.
Warm Homes Discount
The Warm Homes Discount (WHD) is a government scheme providing £150 off your electricity bill. It isn’t paid in cash, your supplier applies a one-off credit between October and March. For winter 2025/26, it reopens in October 2025. Credits must be applied by 31st March 2026.
In England and Wales, if you (or a partner) get the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit, you’re automatically eligible. If you get a qualifying means-tested benefit and your name was on the electricity bill on 24th August 2025, you should also qualify.
In Scotland, those on Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) are automatically eligible. Others apply to their supplier’s Broader Group. Funds are limited, so apply early.
Simply, the best thing to do is check that your supplier participates and your name is on your electricity bill. Announcements are made by post between October and December.
Priority Services Register: Extra support from your energy company
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free scheme run by energy suppliers and the electricity/gas networks. If you’re of pension age, have a disability or health condition, live with children under 5 or need information in accessible formats, you can ask to join. Benefits include:
- Advance notice of planned power cuts
- Password schemes for safer home visits
- Help with meter readings/bill management
- Accessible communications
You sign up directly with your supplier and your network operator (and you’ll need to re-join if you switch supplier.)
How LEAP can help
It’s a lot to remember, but don’t worry. LEAP’s Energy Advice Service can do the heavy lifting for you. We start with a relaxed, friendly energy advice phone call, then, if you’re eligible and it’s helpful, arrange a home energy visit. We can:
- Check your Cold Weather Payment status and advise what to do if a payment’s missing
- Help you access your council’s Household Support Fund
- Register you on the Priority Services Register
- Look for other saving opportunities (tariff checks, small energy fixes and referrals for bigger measures if you’re eligible)
If you (or someone you care for) could use a hand, apply on our website for a call with a LEAP energy advisor. We’ll listen, prioritise what’s important and map out the best route to support your home.
