Social Security Scotland will make payments of £50 this month to around 400,000 people to help them cover the costs of eating bills. More than £20 million is being spent by the Scottish Government to provide those on a low income with additional financial support through the Winter Heating Payment.
The new Winter Heating Payment will provide a one-off lump sum of £50 every year automatically to eligible households, with no need to apply. It replaces the £25 Cold Weather Payment delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which is only paid to people when there is a sustained period of cold weather in a specific location. It will rise with inflation to £55.05 in 2024.
Social Security Scotland will deliver the benefit and those eligible for Winter Heating Payment will get a letter to let them know they qualify for the energy help which will be made automatically and appear on bank statements as ‘WHP’. So there's no need to apply.
Minister for Social Security Scotland Ben Macpherson, recently said: “Our new Winter Heating Payment is the thirteenth Scottish Government benefit. This year it will provide 400,000 people most in need with a reliable, automatic £50 payment to help towards their heating costs.”
He added that the £50 payment will reach “significantly more people than the benefit it has replaced”.
The minister explained: “On average only 185,000 people received the equivalent Cold Weather Payments from the UK Government over the last seven years - whereas we will pay everyone eligible every year.
"The Scottish Government is investing around £20 million per year compared with an average of £8.3 million annually paid out through Cold Weather Payment.
“We will also uprate the next Winter Heating Payment by 10.1%, to £55.05.”
If you are currently eligible for the Cold Weather Payment from DWP and your circumstances have not changed, you should be eligible for a Winter Heating payment. However, there is a qualifying period for the new payment which many people may not be aware of.
Guidance on Scot.Gov states: “Social Security Scotland and DWP are working together to transfer this benefit. Most eligible clients will receive this payment automatically.”
Your eligibility for Winter Heating Payment is assessed by Social Security Scotland. They look at:
- what benefits you are receiving
- your circumstances from November 7 to November 13, 2022 – this is known as the 'qualifying week'
Qualifying benefits for £50 Winter Heating Payment
Households on these benefits will be eligible, if they were in receipt of the benefit during the qualifying week:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support for Mortgage Interest
- Qualifying benefits and requirements
Full guidance is available on Scot.Gov here, below is a brief summary.
If you are on Universal Credit and not in employment
Guidance states that you will usually get the £50 Winter Heating Payment if you’re not employed or self-employed and also have one of the following:
- a limited capability for work element
- a limited capability for work element with a work related activity element
- a child or young person disability element
- the disability element of Child Tax Credit
- a child under five-years-old
If you are on Universal Credit and in employment
You should get the £50 Winter Heating Payment if you’re employed or self-employed and have one of the following:
- the child or young person disability element
- the disability element of Child Tax Credit
If you are on Pension Credit
If you were receiving payments through Pension Credit during the qualifying week (November 7-13), you should receive the £50 Winter Heating Payment.
If you are on income based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support
You should get the £50 Winter Heating Payment if you get Income based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support and have any of the following:
- a disability premium
- a severe disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- the disability element of Child Tax Credit
- a child under five-years-old
Or receive child disability premium within:
- Income Support
- Income Based Job Seeker's Allowance
- Income Related Employment Support Allowance
You should get the £50 Winter Heating Payment if you receive Income Related Employment Support Allowance and have any of the following:
- placed in a support group or a work related activity group
- a severe or enhanced disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- the disability element of Child Tax Credit
- a child under five-years-old
If you are getting support for Mortgage Interest
You should get the £25 Winter Heating Payment if you receive Support for Mortgage Interest and have any of the following:
- a disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- a child disability premium
- a child under five-yeas-old
When you will get the payment
Payments for winter 2022 are set to be made from February 2023, no specific dates have been announced yet. If you are eligible, you will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland before they make the payment.
Payments will appear in bank accounts with the code ‘WHP’ - Winter Heating Payment.
Help with heating bills and cost of living over winter
If you are struggling to heat your home during the colder weather, contact your energy supplier to see what help is available.
You should also contact your local council to find out if you qualify for any additional financial help - the Scottish Government received £79m from the UK Government’s Household support Fund earlier this year and many local councils are offering extra help specifically for heating costs.
Find the website and contact details for your local council here.
To keep up to date with the cost of living news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, follow us on Twitter @Record_Money, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out Monday to Friday - sign up here.
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