Cold weather payments: The 10 Sunderland postcode areas eligible for £25 payment

The UK has experienced a cold start to 2026, with snow and ice affecting parts of the country.

The cold temperatures have triggered cold weather payments for Sunderland. Here’s all you need to know about cold weather payments, including the postcode areas currently eligible for it.

What are cold weather payments?

The cold weather payment is a £25 benefit top-up to help with fuel costs when temperatures are low.

Who is eligible for a cold weather payment?

People are eligible for the cold weather payment if they receive any of the below:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit
• Support for Mortgage Interest

How cold does it need to be to receive a cold weather payment?

You must also live in an area which has experienced seven days of zero or below zero temperatures (or forecast to be below freezing for seven days in a row).

When will I receive the cold weather payment?

Those eligible for a cold weather payment will get the payment automatically. It should arrive within 14 working days of the cold period, in the same bank account you receive benefit payments.

Sunderland postcode areas currently eligible for a cold weather payment

• DH4 Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland
• DH5 Hetton, Sunderland
• NE37 Washington, Sunderland
• NE38 Washington, Sunderland
• SR1 Sunderland
• SR2 Sunderland
• SR3 Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland
• SR4 Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland
• SR5 Castletown, Sunderland
• SR6 Sunderland

You can check your eligibility for cold weather payments through GOV.UK’s cold weather payments postcode checker here.