Hundreds of thousands of pensioners are set to receive help with their heating bills this winter, the Scottish Government has announced.
The rollout of winter heating payments for state pensioners has begun, with more than 880,000 eligible individuals aged 66 or over set to receive between £101.70 and £305.10, depending on their circumstances. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We know that energy costs are too high and that this will affect households across Scotland this winter. Pension age winter heating payment will provide vital support for thousands of older people to help heat their homes and manage costs throughout the colder months.”
She added: “People over the age of 66 don’t need to do anything – in the vast majority of cases, the payment will be made automatically to help towards a warmer winter.”
The pension age winter heating payment replaces the winter fuel payment in Scotland and is delivered by Social Security Scotland.
People born on or before September 21, 1959, who were living in Scotland between September 15 and September 21 this year will receive the payment. The amount they will receive depends on a number of factors, including their age and that of anyone they live with, and whether they live in residential care.
All those eligible will receive a letter setting out details of their payment, and in the “vast majority” of cases, money will be transferred into a recipient’s bank account automatically.
You can check when the payment lands by keeping an eye out for the reference code on your bank statement. The code will include ‘PAWHP’, which stands for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
For pensioners with a taxable income of more than £35,000, the Government said the payment will be taken back through the tax system during the 2026/27 financial year.
The Government also warned the public to be wary of scams related to payments and stated that Social Security Scotland will not request personal information to be shared via email or text message.
If you’re not sure whether you will be eligible, you can use the Scottish Government’s online tool here.
Who is not eligible?
You will not be eligible if you:
- were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole qualifying week and the 52 weeks leading up to it
- were in custody, under a sentence imposed by a court, for the whole qualifying week
- need permission to enter the UK, and your granted leave says you cannot claim public funds.
If you live in a residential care home, you will not be eligible for the payment of the following apply to you:
- You were in residential care for the whole qualifying week
- You went into care before June 23, 2025
- You got any of these benefits during the qualifying week: Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, or Universal Credit.
When do you need to apply?
The payment is typically made automatically to those who are eligible; however, there are instances where you may need to apply for it. You might need to apply for the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment if you:
- deferred your State Pension
- are a couple with a joint award for Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support or Universal Credit, and the main person getting that benefit is under State Pension age.
If this applies to you, you can apply for the payment by phone or post. The deadline to apply for winter 2025/26 is March 31, 2026.
Further information about the payment can be found at Pension Age Winter Heating Payment .
