Winter Heating Payment (Low Income) (Scotland): island communities impact assessment

Demography and health

33. Scotland has 93 inhabited islands with a total population of 103,700 (2% of Scotland's population) as per the 2011 Census^[17]. The population of the islands increased by 4% (3,963) between 2001 and 2011. This reversed a decline in the population of the islands by 3% between the 1991 and 2001²³.

34. Remote rural areas have a higher (23%) proportion of older people (65+) than the rest of Scotland (17%)^[18]. For males, the life expectancy in remote rural and accessible rural areas is around 79 years, nearly 2 years more than life expectancy in the rest of Scotland. For females, the life expectancy in rural areas is around 83 years, nearly 2 years more than in the rest of Scotland.

35. According to the 2011 Census, 83% of island residents reported their health as being 'very good' or 'good' compared with 82% for Scotland as a whole. The proportion of island residents with a long-term (lasting 12 months or more) health problem or disability that limited their day-to-day activities was just under 20%, including 9% who reported their daily activities were limited 'a lot'. The corresponding proportions for Scotland as a whole were very similar^[19]. 17% of island residents are under age 16, which is the same proportion as per Scotland as a whole^[20].

36. WHP acknowledges that regardless of temperature it is more likely to be difficult for people on low income benefits (who have a greater need for heat) to spend more money to heat their homes during the winter, despite the weather or where they live in Scotland. Therefore, the annual payment of £50 (equivalent of two CWPs) will offer certainty to low income households living within island communities to help them towards their energy bills each winter. This approach will have a positive impact on families which have a disabled person, a young person or an older person of pension age who are living in island communities.