The Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is planned to be introduced by the Scottish Government. This is a new benefit to replace the UK Government’s Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland.

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will provide an annual payment to pensioner households to help with heating costs in the winter. The Government’s intention is that when it is introduced, the Payment will have the same eligibility criteria and payment amounts as Winter Fuel Payment.

The plan is to introduce the new payment by Winter 2024.

The consultation lays out the Scottish Government’s intention to deliver a like-for-like benefit at a cost of around £180 million in winter 2024-25, which will be covered via the Block Grant Adjustment from the UK Government.

The focus of the consultation is around gathering evidence on people’s views of the current benefit and considering how the new payment could improve the system already in place.

The consultation closes on 15th January 2024.

Click on this link to access the consultation: Pension Age Winter Heating Payment

Social Justice Secretary in the Scottish Government Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

“Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will seek to safely and securely transfer responsibility for the delivery of Winter Fuel Payment to the Scottish Government, ensuring that more than a million pensioners currently eligible for Winter Fuel Payment continue to receive this support.

“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.

“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.

“We are now looking for the public’s views, as well as those of relevant experts and organisations – through this consultation – to finalise our policy on this important benefit.”