Families, pensioners and disabled people due up to £305 in extra payments this year
Last winter over half a million children and families across Scotland enjoyed warmer homes after receiving a total of £37.3 million towards their heating bills from Social Security Scotland. Winter Heating Payment (£59.75), Child Winter Heating Payment (£255.80) and Pension Age Winter Heating Payments (between £101 and £305) will be issued again this year to eligible households to help with higher costs over the colder months.
A total of 465,510 Winter Heating Payments, worth £27.3m, were made for 2024/2025, along with 39,590 Child Winter Heating Payments, worth £10m.
Following the UK Government's U-turn on the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility policy, which will see around 9 million pensioners in England and Wales receive between £100 and £300, the Scottish Government announced it would also ensure Scots pensioners would not miss out.
Social Security Scotland delivers the payments using data provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and recently updated the dedicated pages on MYGOV.SCOT with information on payments for this winter.
Payments will be made automatically from November and how much someone receives depends on their age, household living circumstances and residency in the UK during the qualifying week of Monday September 15 to Sunday September 21, 2025.
Pensioners in residential care could get £101.70 while people aged between 66 and 79 could receive £203.40 while those aged 80 or over could be due £305.10.
To qualify for either Pension Age Winter Heating Payment or Winter Fuel Payment, people need to have been born before September 22, 1959 with an annual income of £35,000 and below.
Nobody needs to claim either of these payments or be in receipt of Pension Credit, as per the previous eligibility rules.
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 DWP's 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 on April 29 also show that 95 per cent of Winter Heating Payments were made by December 2024 and 93 per cent of Child Winter Heating Payments were made by October 2024.
Benefits and payments only available in Scotland
Below is everything you need to know about devolved benefits and payments with direct links to the dedicated pages on the Social Security Scotland website here.
Winter Heating Payment - £59.75 annual payment
This annual payment replaced the Cold Weather Payment delivered by DWP in 2023 and will be worth £59.75 during winter 2025/26. It is designed to help people on a low income or benefits who might have extra heating needs during the winter - find out more here.
Child Winter Heating Payment - £255.80 annual payment
This is an annual payment to help families of youngsters up to the age of 19 on the highest rate care component of disability benefits and will be worth £255.80 in winter 2025/26. This payment provides support for people on Disability Living Allowance for Children, Child or Adult Disability Payment and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - find out more here.
Just remember, Adult Disability Payment will fully replace PIP by the end of this year so it's included here as there are still people in receipt of the DWP benefits and intended as information only.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment - between £101.70 and £305.10 annual payment
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will help people of State Pension age with higher energy bills during the colder months. It replaces Winter Fuel payments for pensioners with a Scottish postcode.
A full overview of the eligibility criteria and payment structure can be found on MYGOV.SCOT here.
Payments to be issued from November:
People aged over 66 living in residential care will receive £101.70 (visit MYGOV.SCOT for full details)
People aged between 66 and 79 will receive £203. 40 (lower rate)
People aged 80 and over will receive £305.10 (higher rate)
Scottish Child Payment - £27.15 weekly payment
This is a payment of £27.15 per week, per child - some £108.60 every four week pay period. It can help towards the costs of looking after a child under 16 for families who get certain benefits - find out more here.
Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment (first child) - £767.50
This is a one-off payment of up to £767.50 from 24 weeks in pregnancy up until a baby turns six months for families who get certain benefits - find out more here.
Best Start Grant - Pregnancy and Baby Payment - £383.75
The Subsequent Child Payment and Multiple Pregnancy Supplement payment will be worth £383.75 in 2025.26 - find out more here.
Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment - £319.80
This is a one-off payment of £319.80 when a child is between two and three years and six months for families who get certain benefits - find out more here.
Best Start Grant School Age Payment - £319.80
This is a one-off payment of £319.80 when a child would normally start primary one for families who get certain benefits - find out more here.
Best Start Foods
This is a pre-paid card from pregnancy up to when a child turns three for families on certain benefits to help buy healthy food - find out more here.
The 2025/26 weekly payment rates are:
Higher rate - £10.80
Lower rate - £5.40
Funeral Support Payment
This is money towards the costs of a funeral at a difficult time like this for people on certain benefits who are responsible for paying for a funeral. The current average payout is £1,800 - find out more here.
Payment rates:
Standard rate: £1,279.15
Lower rate: £156.10
Medical device removal rate: £25.80
Job Start Payment
This is a one-off payment for 16 to 24 year olds who have been on certain benefits for six months or more to help with the costs of starting a job - find out more here.
Payment rates:
Higher rate: £511.65
Standard rate: £319.80
Child Disability Payment - up to £749 every four weeks
This is extra money - up to the value of £749 every four weeks in 2025/26 - to help with the costs of caring for a child with a disability or ill-health condition. It replaces Disability Living Allowance for children in Scotland that was previously delivered by the DWP - find out more here.
Weekly payment rates
Daily living
Lower care award: £29.20
Standard: £73.90
Enhanced: £110.40
Mobility
Standard: £29.20
Enhanced: £77.05
Adult Disability Payment - up to £749 every four weeks
This is extra money - worth between £116.80 and £749.80 every four weeks - to help people who have a long-term illness or a disability that affects their everyday life. It replaces Personal Independence Payment people in Scotland previously delivered by the DWP - find out more here.
Weekly payment rates
Daily living
Standard: £73.90
Enhanced: £110.40
Mobility
Standard: £29.20
Enhanced: £77.05
Pension Age Disability Payment - up to £441 every four weeks
Pension Age Disability Payment has replaced all new claims for Attendance Allowance in Scotland. It will replace Attendance Allowance for existing claimants by the end of 2025.
People living in Scotland-only will receive either £73.90 or £110.40 each week - the same rate as Attendance Allowance. it will be paid every four weeks - £295.60, or £441.60 per pay period.
Pension Age Disability Payment will support older people who have a disability that means they need assistance with looking after themselves, or supervision to keep them safe. Find out more about the new payment here.
Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance - up to £749 every four weeks
This is a closed benefit, which means nobody can apply for it and is only for pensioners on Disability Living Allowance transferring from the DWP - find out more here.
Weekly payment rates
Daily living
Lower care award: £29.20
Standard: £73.90
Enhanced: £110.40
Mobility
Standard: £29.20
Enhanced: £77.05
Young Carer Grant - £390.25 annual payment
This is an annual payment of £390.25 for people 16, 17 or 18 who care for people who get a disability benefit from the DWP for an average of 16 hours a week or more - find out more here.
Carer's Allowance Supplement - £293.50 paid twice a year
This is an automatic payment of £293.50 made twice a year to people who get Carer's Allowance through the DWP on certain dates each year.
The first payment of 2025 was issued to over 90,000 carers last month and the next one is due in December - find out more here.
Carer Support Payment - £83.30 weekly payment
Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer's Allowance for new and existing claimants in Scotland and will be worth £83.30 each week, some £333.20 every four week pay period. Full details about the new benefit can be found here.
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