Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP): consultation response

Ministerial Foreword

As Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, in October I was pleased to launch the consultation on our proposed Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which will replace Winter Fuel Payments in Scotland from winter 2024.

This new benefit will continue to help those of state pension age with the costs of heating their homes in winter and provide a guaranteed annual payment of up to £300 per individual.

We will deliver the new benefit this winter, ensuring the safe and secure transfer of around one million eligible people who have reached the state pension age, the largest caseload introduced to Social Security Scotland since the agency’s inception. This will be an investment of around £180 million in 2024/25 to help older people with the costs of heating their homes throughout the winter.

I am pleased that so many people took the time to respond to the consultation, with a total of over 900 responses from organisations and individuals with an interest in the future of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

Working with individuals and organisations with experience of the benefits system is central to our approach to developing the devolved social security system in Scotland. This document explains the considerations we have made on the policy based on the views and feedback we received during the consultation period.

As I laid out in the consultation, our focus is on a safe and secure transfer of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment for launch this winter (2024/2025). However, it is clear that further development work will be required as we continue to explore the potential longer-term development of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. The responses to the consultation will support this work.

Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice