Cold weather bonus (FOI)

Request

What have been the changes to the cold weather bonus in the last eight years

Response

Over the last eight years the following changes have been made to the Cold Weather Bonus:

• In August 2022, an extensive package of measures to address the cost of living crisis was lodged by the Minister for Treasury and Resources and the Minister for Social Security. This included temporarily increasing the cold weather payments to a flat rate of £70 per month from October 2022 to March 2023 instead of the rate being dependent on the monthly temperature. In September 2023 this was extended to continue to pay a flat rate of £70 per month from October 2023 to March 2024.
• In January 2024, an extension of eligibility criteria for the Cold Weather Bonus was agreed to include those households with a member who for at least one of the cold weather months is assessed at 100% Long Term Incapacity Allowance provided they had 5 years residency. The rest of the existing Cold Weather Bonus qualification criteria applied equally to that person as it does to all other members of the household. 
• ​From October 2024, the Cold Weather payment value resumed to being dependent on monthly temperatures, for any cold weather months in the period October to April. 
• With effect from October 2024, the base figure used to calculate the rate of a Cold Weather Bonus in any cold weather month was increased from £153.23 to £193.37.​