Heating cost help
Find out about heating help you might be entitled to at the mygov.scot website
Winter Heating Payment (WHP) has replaced the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment (CWP) in Scotland, and provides a stable, reliable, annual payment to people in receipt of certain benefits who might have extra heating needs during the winter.
Winter Heating Payment is not based on temperature levels and will be paid whatever the weather to people already receiving the following UK benefits during the qualifying week:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- income- based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support for Mortgage Interest
Additional qualifying criteria in relation to premiums paid because the client is disabled or has a young or disabled child also need to be met.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP)
As a result of the UK Government’s decision to means test Winter Fuel Payment, we have made the difficult decision to also means test Pension Age Winter Heating Payment this winter.
For this winter 2024/2025, only people of State Pension age in receipt of relevant benefits will be eligible to receive Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. Those benefits are:
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- income-related ESA
- income-based JSA
- Income Support
You might also be eligible if you got Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit. This only applies if you got at least £26 from those benefits in the 2024 to 2025 tax year.
From winter 2025/2026 onwards, we intend to introduce a universal Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. From next winter, pensioners in Scotland in receipt of a relevant benefit will continue to receive payments of £200 or £300, depending on their age. Every other pensioner household will receive a payment of £100.
Find out more about the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment on mygov.scot.
Child Winter Heating Payment (CWHP)
Child Winter Heating Payment is a winter payment to help families of disabled children and young people receiving the highest rate care component or enhanced daily living component with fuel costs. payment is made per individual rather than per household, meaning each eligible child in the household will receive a payment.
Read more about the Child Winter Heating Payment on mygov.scot.
Policy position papers
We have published a series of social security policy papers setting out our position on the development of the devolved benefits in Scotland.