On this page

Who can get a pension age winter heating payment

You can get a pension age winter heating payment if you live in Scotland, you are pension age or over and you get a qualifying benefit on any day in the qualifying week.

The qualifying week is the week beginning on the third Monday in September. It was 16 to 22 September in 2024.

Qualifying benefits

You, or your partner if you have one, must be entitled to a qualifying benefit for any day in the qualifying week to be entitled to pension age winter heating payment. The qualifying benefits are:

  • pension credit
  • income support
  • income-based jobseeker’s allowance
  • income-related employment and support allowance
  • universal credit
  • child tax credit or working tax credit of at least £26 for the tax year 2024/25

Who cannot get a pension age winter heating payment

You cannot get a pension age winter heating payment if throughout the qualifying week you are:

  • getting free treatment in hospital and you’ve been there for 52 weeks or more
  • serving a custodial sentence under a sentence imposed by a court
  • living in a care home or independent hospital and you’ve been there for the 12 weeks immediately before the qualifying week

How much is a pension age winter heating payment

A pension age winter heating payment is an annual payment of:

  • £200 if you are aged between pension age and 79 inclusive in the qualifying week; or
  • £300 if you or your partner are aged 80 or over in the qualifying week.

If you’re part of a couple, you receive one payment for yourself and your partner.

How to claim a pension age winter heating payment

You do not have to make a claim for pension age winter heating payment. You should be paid automatically if you’re eligible.

The DWP is paying the pension age winter heating payment to eligible people in Scotland for winter 2024/25. Social Security Scotland intends to start making the payments for winter 2025/26.

You should get a letter telling you that you’ll be paid a pension age winter heating payment. You’ll usually get the payment in November or December.

If you think you’re entitled and you have not received a payment, you should contact the DWP's winter fuel payment centre on 0800 731 0160.

If you’re unhappy with a decision about pension age winter heating payment, you can challenge the decision. You can ask the DWP to look at the decision again. This is called a ‘redetermination’. You should ask for a re-determination within 31 days of being informed of the right to do so.

More information

For information about pension age winter heating payment and winter fuel payment, see chapter 37 of the Welfare benefits and tax credits handbook. You’ll need a subscription to be able to log in and read the content.

Read the pension age winter heating payment regulations on legislation.gov.uk.