Final Winter Heating Payments of £59.75 and Pension Age WinterHeating Payments of between £105 and £305 are due before the end of February.
The last round of automatic winter heating payments worth up to £305 will be issued to households across Scotland this week. More than 1.5 million heating payments have already been issued this winter, including over one million to people over State Pension age, according to the Scottish Government.
Payments began going out in October with Child Winter Heating Payment for families caring for disabled children. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment and Winter Heating Payment started being paid in November. Although the vast majority of awards have now been processed, payments will continue automatically until the window closes on February 28.
So far, more than 1,009,000 Pension Age Winter Heating Payments have been issued. The remaining automatic payments, worth £101.70, £203.40 or £305.10 depending on circumstances, are also due to end on February 28.
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The devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment has replaced the Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland for everyone aged 66 and over with a Scottish postcode. It is delivered by Social Security Scotland and is designed to help with heating costs during the colder months.
Child Winter Heating Payment is worth £255.80 and supports families caring for children with the highest disability support needs. More than 44,000 payments have been made so far this winter.
Winter Heating Payment, worth £59.75, is also unique to Scotland. It replaced the £25 Cold Weather Payment previously delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Unlike the DWP scheme, which is triggered by seven consecutive days of freezing temperatures in a local area, the Scottish payment is a guaranteed annual award and is not dependent on the weather.
Over 454,500 Winter Heating Payments have been made this winter, with the final payments still being processed.
In most cases, winter heating payments are made automatically. Only a small number of people need to apply, and the deadline to do so is March 31, 2026.
Below is a full breakdown of the winter heating payments currently available in Scotland, including how much each is worth and who qualifies.
How to qualify for £59.75 Winter Heating Payment
If you have already qualified for another benefit you will automatically get Winter Heating Payment.
Qualifying week
The qualifying week for this payment was November 3 – 9, 2025. The information Social Security Scotland holds on you determines if you get one or more of the qualifying benefits at some point during this week.
Qualifying benefits
A full guide to the qualifying benefits can be found on MYGOV.SCOT.
Universal Credit
You will qualify if you’re employed or self-employed and get a child or young person disability element.
You will also qualify if you are not employed or self-employed and you have either:
- 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
- a child under 5
Pension Credit
No requirements other than you qualify for Pension Credit.
Income Support or Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
You will qualify if you have a child under 5 or you get:
- a disability premium
- a severe disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- the child disability premium
Income Related Employment Support Allowance
You will qualify if:
- you have a child under 5
- or you’re in a support group or a work related activity group
or you get:
- a severe or enhanced disability premium
- a pensioner premium
Support for Mortgage Interest
You will qualify if you have a child under 5 or you get:
- a disability premium
- a pensioner premium
- a child disability premium
Pension Age Winter Heating Payments
Pensioners in England and Wales will receive between £100 and £300 through Winter Fuel Payments.
Social Security Scotland started issuing Pension Age Winter Heating Payments at the end of November, using data provided by the DWP, and will continue throughout the winter months – until the start of February. Guidance on MYGOV.SCOT has full details on the one-off annual payments.
How much someone receives depends on their age, household living circumstances and residency in the UK during the qualifying week, which ran from September 15 to 21, 2025.
To qualify for either Pension Age Winter Heating Payment or Winter Fuel Payment, people need to have been born before September 22, 1959 with an annual income of £35,000 or below.
Pensioners in residential care could get £101.70 while people aged between 66 and 79 could receive £203.40 while those aged 80 or over could be due £305.10.
A full overview of the eligibility criteria and payment structure can be found on MYGOV.SCOT.
Payments to be issued from November:
- People aged over 66 living in residential care will receive £101.70 (visit MYGOV.SCOT for full details)
- People aged between 66 and 79 will receive £203. 40 (lower rate)
- People aged 80 and over will receive £305.10 (higher rate)
Child Winter Heating Payment
Child Winter Heating Payment was introduced by the Scottish Government in November 2020 and is only available in Scotland.
This is an annual payment to help families of youngsters up to the age of 19 on the highest rate care component of disability benefits and is worth £255.80 in winter 2025/26. Payments were issued in October.
This payment provides support for people on Disability Living Allowance for Children, Child or Adult Disability Payment – find out more here.
