Disability and winter, how to stay warm and well

Winter can be tough for everyone, but it is often harder when you are disabled or living with a long-term condition. Cold weather can make pain, stiffness and breathing problems worse. You may need to keep your home warmer than other people do, run medical equipment, or spend more time at home. That all costs money.

Research by Disability Rights UK found that disabled households spend a bigger share of their budget on energy than other households. This guide brings together the help you can get for winter 2026 to 2027, and practical ways to stay warm, well and safe.

Why winter can be harder

• Cold can make symptoms worse. Many people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, MS, Raynaud's and other conditions find pain and stiffness get worse in the cold.
• Cold air affects breathing. It can trigger asthma and COPD symptoms, and chest infections are more common in winter.
• Cold strains the heart. Being cold raises blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes, especially in older people.
• You may need more heat. If you move less, spend more time at home, or cannot control your body temperature well, you may need your home warmer for longer.
• Equipment uses power. Things like electric wheelchairs, hoists, oxygen concentrators and adjustable beds all add to your bills.
• Shorter days affect mood. Less daylight and more time indoors can make low mood, anxiety and loneliness worse.

Keeping warm safely

The NHS says to heat the rooms you use most to at least 18°C if you can. This is especially important if you are older, have a long-term condition, or find it hard to move around.

• Heat the room you spend most time in during the day, and your bedroom before you go to bed.
• Wear layers. Several thin layers trap heat better than one thick one. Thermal socks, a hat and gloves help, even indoors.
• Keep moving if you can. Even gentle movement in your chair, like moving your arms and legs, helps you stay warm.
• Have hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day.
• Close curtains at dusk and keep doors closed to keep heat in the rooms you use.
• Use hot water bottles carefully. Do not use boiling water, and check the bottle for wear. If you have reduced feeling, ask someone to check your skin.
• Check electric blankets for damage, and never use one with a hot water bottle.
• Keep your home ventilated a little, to stop damp and mould, which can make breathing problems worse.

Help with energy bills this winter

The energy price cap

From 1 October 2026, Ofgem's energy price cap went up by about 4%, to around £1,723 a year for a typical household paying by Direct Debit. The price cap limits the unit rates and standing charges suppliers can charge on standard tariffs. It does not limit your total bill, so you still pay for what you use.

Warm Home Discount

The Warm Home Discount is £150 off your electricity bill for winter 2026 to 2027. In England and Wales, you usually get it automatically if you, or your partner, get a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-related ESA or Housing Benefit, and your name is on the electricity account. Suppliers must apply it by 31 March 2027.

Cold Weather Payments

If you get certain benefits, such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit (with a disability element or a disabled child), you get £25 for each 7 day spell of very cold weather in your area between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. You do not need to claim.

Winter Fuel Payment

If you have reached State Pension age by the qualifying week (21 to 27 September 2026), you should get a Winter Fuel Payment of £200, or £300 if you are 80 or over. Most payments are made in November or December 2026. If your income is over £35,000, HMRC will take the payment back through the tax system.

Other help with bills

• Priority Services Register: free, from your energy and water companies. It gives you warnings before planned power cuts, priority help if you rely on equipment, and accessible bills.
• Medical equipment costs: if you use equipment such as a dialysis machine or oxygen concentrator at home, the NHS may refund the electricity. Ask your hospital team.
• Talk to your supplier if you are struggling to pay. They must offer you a payment plan you can afford, and some have hardship funds.
• WaterSure can cap your water bill if you have a meter, get a means-tested benefit and use a lot of water because of a medical condition.

Read more in our guide to help with energy and water bills.

Emergency help from your council

In England, the Household Support Fund was replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund in April 2026. It is run by local councils and can help with things like food, energy and other essentials in a crisis. Each council sets its own rules. If you got help from the old fund, you need to apply again. Search for "Crisis and Resilience Fund" and your council's name.

In Wales, the Discretionary Assistance Fund can give emergency payments to help with essential costs, including fuel. Apply online or by phone.

Check you are getting the right benefits

Many winter payments depend on getting a means-tested benefit. Disability benefits can help you get these, or get more of them.

• PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance are not means-tested, and getting them can increase means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit or Universal Credit.
• Pension Credit is worth checking if you are over State Pension age. It unlocks Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount.
• If your condition has got worse, you can ask for your benefit award to be looked at again.

Use our free self-checks for PIP and Attendance Allowance. Your answers never leave your device. You can also use a free benefits calculator, such as Turn2us or entitledto.

Protect your health

Vaccines

• Flu jab: free for people aged 65 or over (including those who turn 65 by 31 March 2027), people aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term conditions (such as asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart, kidney or neurological conditions), pregnant people, care home residents and carers, including people who get Carer's Allowance.
• COVID jab: in England, offered from 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027 to people aged 75 or over, older adults in care homes, and people aged 6 months or over with a weakened immune system.
• Ask your GP practice or a pharmacy. If you are housebound, ask your GP practice about a home visit.

Medicines and prescriptions

• Order repeat prescriptions early, especially before bank holidays. Pharmacies and GP surgeries close for some days over Christmas and New Year.
• Keep a small supply of the medicines you need, and check you know your opening times.
• If you have COPD, ask about a rescue pack and keep your action plan handy. If you have asthma, check your inhaler and action plan. See our guides to COPD and asthma.

Getting help when you are unwell

• Your pharmacist can help with minor illnesses, often without an appointment.
• Use NHS 111 online or by phone if you need help and are not sure where to go.
• Call 999 in an emergency, such as severe breathlessness, chest pain or signs of a stroke.

Look after your mental health

Long, dark evenings and more time at home can make it harder to stay well.

• Get daylight when you can, even by sitting near a window.
• Keep a routine for sleep, meals and activities.
• Stay in touch with people by phone, video call or online. Our community is a friendly place to talk to people who understand.
• Some people get seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. Talk to your GP if winter always brings your mood down.

Getting out and about safely

• Plan journeys around the weather, and allow extra time.
• Wear shoes with good grip, and consider ice grips if you go out in icy weather.
• Use your mobility aids, and check rubber tips on walking sticks and frames are not worn.
• Keep paths clear if you can, or ask a neighbour or local volunteer group to help.
• A Blue Badge can help you park closer to where you need to go.
• If you fall and cannot get up, try to keep warm and call for help. A personal alarm can give you peace of mind if you live alone.

Be ready for power cuts

• Call 105, the free power cut number, to report a power cut or get updates.
• Keep a torch, spare batteries and a charged phone or power bank handy.
• If you rely on powered medical equipment, make sure you are on the Priority Services Register, know how long your batteries last, and have a backup plan agreed with your care team.
• Keep warm clothes and blankets where you can easily reach them.

Make a winter plan

A simple plan can make cold snaps and bad days easier.

1. Write down important numbers, such as your GP, pharmacy, energy supplier, carer and a neighbour.
2. Keep a list of your medicines and conditions, in case you need to see someone new.
3. Stock up on some food that is easy to prepare, in case you cannot get out.
4. Ask someone to check in on you during very cold weather.
5. If you are a carer, make an emergency plan for what happens if you are ill. Your council's carer's assessment can help with this.

Help and support

• Citizens Advice: free advice on energy bills and benefits.
• Turn2us: benefits calculator and grant search.
• Scope helpline: advice for disabled people and their families.
• Age UK (England) and Age Cymru (Wales): help for older people, including winter advice.
• Simple Energy Advice: free advice on saving energy and grants for your home.

This article is general information, not financial or medical advice. Rules and amounts can change, so check the official guidance for your situation.