Last winter over half a million children and families across
Scotland enjoyed warmer homes after receiving a total of
£37.3million towards their heating bills from Social Security
Scotland.
Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to people who get
certain low-income benefits, including households with young
children, disabled people or older people. It has replaced the
Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Cold Weather Payment in
Scotland.
It is a guaranteed payment that everyone who is eligible
receives, no matter what the weather. Cold Weather Payment is
only paid if the average temperature falls - or is forecast to
fall - to freezing or below for a full week.
Child Winter Heating Payment was introduced by the Scottish
Government in November 2020 and is only available in Scotland. It
is paid once a year to children and young people if they are
under 19 years old and get certain benefits.
The figures, taken from statistics released today (Tuesday 29
April), also show that 95% of Winter Heating Payments were made
by December 2024 and 93% of Child Winter Heating Payments were
made by October 2024.
A total of 465,510 Winter Heating Payments, worth £27.3million,
were made for 2024/2025, along with 39,590 Child Winter Heating
Payments, worth £10million.
Social Justice Secretary said:
“We have issued over 505,100 payments to families on low incomes,
and those supporting children or young people with a disability,
to help with the cost of heating their homes.
“Many people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and
higher energy bills. The importance of these payments was brought
home to everyone this month with the Energy Price Cap rising by
6.4%. Ofgem estimates that this will add £9.25 a month to the
typical household's energy bill.
“This year we will also be providing extra support to pensioners.
While the DWP's Winter Fuel Payment will only be available to
some pensioners, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will provide
money to every pensioner household in the country. The Scottish
Government will continue to protect pensioners and people on low
incomes in Scotland.”
Background
Link to the latest statistics:
Winter Heating Benefits:
Statistics for Winter 2024/2025
Energy price cap will rise
by 6.4% from April | Ofgem
The information for Winter Heating Payments comes from the
Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The last of four data
files was received from the DWP in late March 2025.
Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to people who were
getting any of these benefits during the qualifying week:
· Universal Credit
· Pension Credit
· Income Support
· Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
· Support for Mortgage Interest
Some restrictions apply for some of these benefits. For example,
for those qualifying through Income Support may also have to have
a child under 5, a disability premium or a pensioner premium.
Children and young people in Scotland can get Child Winter
Heating Payment if they are under 19 years old and get one of the
following qualifying benefits:
- highest rate of the care component of Child Disability
Payment
- highest rate of the care component of Disability Living
Allowance for children
- enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal
Independence Payment
- enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult
Disability Payment
They must be getting this on at least one day in the week
starting with the third Monday of September (called the
‘qualifying week'). In 2024, this was Monday 16 September to
Sunday 22 September.
The qualifying week for Winter Heating Payment was Monday 4
November 2024 to Sunday 10 November 2024.
We will introduce a universal Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
in winter 2025/2026 for all pensioner households in Scotland.
This universal payment will provide much needed support not
available anywhere else in the UK and will support older people
across Scotland as we had always intended to do before the UK
Government's decision to cut the payment.
From winter 2025/26, pensioners in Scotland in receipt of a
relevant qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit, and who will
receive payments of £200 or £300 this winter, depending on their
age, will continue to receive those payments automatically.
Additionally, we will introduce universal payments of £100 to
every other pensioner household.
