Latest news with #WinterHeating
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Payment warning to people making a new claim for devolved disability benefits in Scotland
Social Security Scotland has issued crucial advice to people getting help to make a new claim for Adult, Child or Pension Age Disability Payment. By the end of this year, Social Security Scotland will administer and deliver 18 payments, including the new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which has now replaced Winter Fuel Payments north of the border. However, Scotland's devolved welfare system is urging people 'not to pay for assistance' after reporting that 'a number of third-party organisations are asking for a fee to help people apply for disability benefits on their behalf'. Social Security Scotland added: 'We strongly advise people not to use these companies.' This warning is crucial for people making a new claim for Adult, Child, or Pension Age Disability Payment, which can be done for free online or over the phone to Social Security Scotland. If you do need help completing an application form, free help is available from VoiceAbility. The Scottish Government funds VoiceAbility to deliver a free, independent advocacy service to support disabled people. If you need an advocate, you should: contact Social Security Scotland for free on 0800 182 2222 ask them to refer you to the Independent Advocacy Service Several organisations, including Citizen's Advice Scotland and Advice Direct Scotland, offer free, impartial advice to people applying for benefits delivered in Scotland. Social Security Scotland said; 'We want people to get every penny of the money they are entitled to and offer free assistance to anyone applying for our disability benefits. 'We can help people apply over the phone, online or in person. We can also collect information from doctors and other people who know how the person's condition impacts them to support their application.' 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 Spring 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 £100 and £305.10 annual payment Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will help people of State Pension age in receipt of means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit with higher energy bills during the colder months. It replaces Winter Fuel payments and for winter 2025/26, all pensioners in Scotland will receive a minimum of £100 - find out more here. People aged between 66 and 79 on a qualifying benefit will receive £203. 40 (lower rate) People aged 80 and over on a qualifying benefit will receive £305.10 (higher rate) Scottish Child Payment - £27.15 weekly payment This will be a payment of £27.15 per week, per child from April - £108.60 every four weeks - to help towards the costs of looking after each 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 2025/26: 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. The 2025/26 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. 2025/26 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. 2025/26 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 will be made in June and the next 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.
Glasgow Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Glasgow Times
£6 million paid to help Glasgow residents with heating bills
Social Security Scotland paid a total of £6,227,000 to more than 87,340 people across the city to help with their heating bills in 2024/2025. Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to those who receive certain low-income benefits, including households with young children, disabled people, or older people. Read more: Glasgow charity helping pupils from different faiths work together The payment replaced the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Cold Weather Payment in Scotland. Winter Heating Payment is a guaranteed payment that everyone who is eligible receives, regardless of the weather. For 2024/2025, a total of 81,655 Winter Heating Payments, worth £4,797,000, were made. As well as 5,685 Child Winter Heating Payments, worth £1,430,000. The figures, taken from statistics released on April 29, show that 95 per cent of Winter Heating Payments were made by last December and 93 per cent of Child Winter Heating Payments were made by last October. Read more: Plan to dispose of Glasgow City Council building sparks fear over 'loss' Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville 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 per cent. "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."
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Dumfries and Galloway families receive more than £1million to heat their homes through winter
More than £1million was paid out to help families across Dumfries and Galloway heat their homes last winter. And the figures from Social Security Scotland show more than 14,000 payments were made in the region. The stats show there were 13,395 Winter Heating Payments made, which totalled £787,000. The payment is made automatically to people who receive certain benefits, including households with young children, disabled people or older people. A further 1,075 Child Winter Heating Payments were made, totalling £271,000. This scheme was introduced by the Scottish Government in November 2020. Only available in Scotland, it is paid once a year to children and young people if they are under 19 and receive certain benefits. Across the country, £37.3million in payments were made to more than half a million families. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville 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. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. '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 per cent. 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.'
The National
29-04-2025
- Business
- The National
More than half a million Scots received heating payment in winter
Some £37.3 million was given out to families across the country by Social Security Scotland in the latest round of payments. The £58.75 payment is paid automatically to people who get certain low-income benefits, including households with young children, disabled people or older people. The devolved benefit replaced the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Cold Weather Payment in Scotland. READ MORE: Scottish Tory and Reform voters more likely to back majoritarian government – poll Social Security Scotland said the money is guaranteed to eligible Scots no matter the weather, while the 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 receive certain benefits. Tuesday's figures, from the DWP, 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 £27.3 million, were made for 2024/2025, along with 39,590 Child Winter Heating Payments, worth £10 million. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville (above) 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.'
