Winter heating help for over 1 million people
Scotland’s unique package of winter heating support will begin this autumn. Child Winter Heating Payment will start to be paid from week commencing 5 October 2026.
An estimated 1.4 million payments will be made to people across Scotland to help with heating their homes this winter, with payments set to begin from October.
Our unique package of winter heating benefits provides guaranteed support to pensioners, low-income households and families with disabled children and young people.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment has replaced Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland, providing people of State Pension age with a payment between £105.55 and £316.70 depending on their age and household circumstances. Payments are issued to all eligible pensioners but is recovered from those with an individual income of over £35,000 by HMRC. Payments will begin from November and continue throughout the winter.
Child Winter Heating Payment supports households with disabled children and young people who have the highest care needs in the winter months. This type of assistance is not available anywhere else in the UK. This year payments will start week commencing 5 October.
Winter Heating Payment is a guaranteed, annual payment for low-income households in receipt of certain benefits. This is paid irrespective of how cold the temperature gets outside, unlike Cold Weather Payment which is only paid if the average temperature reaches, or is forecast to reach, freezing or below for a full week. Payments will begin from December.
For the majority of eligible people, winter heating benefits are paid automatically with no need to apply.
Help spread the word about our winter heating support: Winter heating benefits stakeholder resources