The Scottish Government is set to introduce a new heating benefit this month that is expected to give an estimated 400,000 households on a low income a guaranteed £50 payment towards their winter energy bills. The new Winter Heating Payment will be administered by Social Security Scotland and replaces the £25 Cold Weather Payment delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Cold Weather Payments of £25 are sent automatically to people on a low income or certain benefits each time temperatures are recorded or forecast at below zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days in their local area between November 1 and March 31. The new £50 Winter Heating Payment will be made every year, irrespective of temperature, although no specific payment window has been announced yet.
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 crisis, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out four times each week - sign up here.
READ NEXT
Nearly one million households will be able to apply for £400 energy bill help later this month
- Scots urged to check for unused £66 energy top-up voucher before end of month
Households waiting on new £200 Alternative Fuel Payment to receive cash help from next month
Full list of one-off payments for parents and households due over the next 12 months
Check for unclaimed benefits or discounts online within minutes to top-up your income this year
