Thousands of households are eligible for payments – including residents in North WalesPhilip Dewey Court Correspondent and Owen Hughes Business correspondent

15:17, 04 Jan 2026

Temperatures have dropped in Wales.(Image: Ian Cooper)

Thousands of households in Wales are now eligible for Cold Weather Payments.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said 451 postcodes in Wales, England and Northern Ireland will be able to claim Cold Water Payments due to recent icy conditions.

The scheme enables people to receive £25 for every seven-day period when temperatures drop to zero degrees Celsius or below. It is for households that are eligible for the payment. Those living in affected areas could receive the payment within days.

Running between January 1 and March 31, the scheme enables households to help cover heating costs during the cold snap. It comes as temperatures have dropped in Wales in recent weeks and yellow weather warnings are in place for parts of Wales for snow and ice until Tuesday, January 6, with fears the cold snap will go beyond that date.

Many places could see 1cm to 3cm of snow develop with the potential for 5cm to 8cm in inland and higher parts of Wales, with icy stretches likely to form.

Am I eligible?

The Cold Weather Payment is aimed at households most vulnerable to freezing temperatures, as detailed on the YouGov website. You may be eligible if you receive:

Eligibility rules vary slightly depending on the benefit:

Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland, where eligible households may receive an annual Winter Heating Payment instead.

Below is a list of Welsh postcodes eligible for a one-off £25 Cold Weather Payment, applicable from January 1 and 4:

Below is a list of Welsh postcodes eligible for a one-off £25 Cold Weather Payment, applicable from January 1 and 4:

  • CF37 – CF38: Pontypridd
  • CF39 – CF43: Porth, Tonypandy, Treorchy, Ferndale
  • CF44 – CF45: Aberdare, Mountain Ash
  • CF46 – CF48: Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil
  • CF81 – CF83: Bargoed, Hengoed, Caerphilly
  • NP4, NP44: Pontypool, Cwmbran
  • NP11 – NP13: Risca, Blackwood, Abertillery
  • NP22 – NP24: Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, New Tredegar
  • LD3: Brecon
  • LL20 -LL21: Llangollen, Corwen
  • LL23: Bala
  • SY15-SY17: Montgomery, Newtown, Caersws
  • SY19: Llanbrynmair
  • SY21-SY22: Welshpool, Llanymynech

You can also check if your postcode is eligible by searching for it on the government’ website.

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