Winter Heating Payment: FOI release

Information requested

Request for information 1: The number of people receiving Winter Heating Payment Of £55.05.

Request for information 2: Total amount paid by Social Security Scotland on WHP.

In 2022.
In 2023.
In 2024 (to date).

Response

Request for information 1.

The information you have requested is available from our Winter Heating Benefits Management Information release on the Publications section of the Social Security Scotland website. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

We can confirm that, as of 31 January 2024, just under 364,000 Winter Heating Payments for Winter 2023/2024 had been issued and the total value of payments issued was over £20 million. This figure is based on management information, and as such, has not yet been quality assured to the same standard as Official Statistics.

Our full Winter Heating Payments statistics publication for 2023/2024 will be published on our official statistics page on 23 April 2024.

Request for information 2.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have some of the information you have requested. This is because Winter Heating Payment for winter 2022/2023 did not begin being paid until February 2023 and therefore no payments were made in calendar year 2022.

• In 2023 £19,866,250 of Winter Heating Payments were made for winter 2022/2023, and £4,899,780.30 of Winter Heating Payments were made for winter 2023/2024.
• In 2024 (up to 31 January) £21,150 of Winter Heating Payments were made for winter 2022/2023, and £15,129,281.40 of Winter Heating Payments were made for winter 2023/2024.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.