Energy bills across Great Britain have now risen by 10 per cent which means millions of households on the standard tariff will see their annual costs go up by £149 from £1,568 to £1,717. In simpler terms, this means for every £100 of energy people currently pay, an extra £10 will be added between now and the start of the new price cap on January 1.
Changes to the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility mean that 10 million pensioners, including 850,000 in Scotland will miss out on the annual heating bill help worth between £100 and £300 because they are not in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit. However, thousands of people in Scotland will be due a one-off payment of £58.75 from mid-December, called the Winter Heating Payment.
Guidance on mygov.scot explains that the payment will be made automatically to people on income related benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Related Employment Support Allowance or Support for Mortgage Interest.
The devolved benefit is only available in Scotland and replaced the £25 Cold Weather Payment delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) two years ago. Unlike the DWP benefit, it is not dependent on a sustained period of cold weather in a specific location but is an annual, one-off payment made no matter the temperature.
The majority of people eligible for the Winter Heating Payment during the qualifying week of November 4-10, will receive the payment automatically, with no need to apply.
Guidance on mygov.scot explains that Social Security Scotland expects to pay the majority of eligible people by the end of February 2025. It adds that people who are eligible for the payment will receive a letter before the money lands in their bank account.
Full details about the payment can be found on the mygov.scot website here. Below is an overview of the eligibility criteria for the payment and qualifying benefits.
Eligibility for £58.75 Winter Heating Payment 2024/25
Your eligibility for Winter Heating Payment is assessed by Social Security Scotland.
They look at:
- what benefits you are receiving
- your circumstances from November 4 to November 10, 2024 – this is known as the ‘qualifying week’
Qualifying benefits for £58.75 Winter Heating Payment
Households on these benefits will be eligible, if they are 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
If you are on Universal Credit and not in employment
Guidance states that you will usually get the £55.05 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
- a child under five-years-old
If you are on Universal Credit and in employment
You should get the £58.75 Winter Heating Payment if you’re employed or self-employed and get a child or young person disability element.
If you are on Pension Credit
If you are receiving payments through Pension Credit during the qualifying week (November 4-10), you should receive the £58.75 Winter Heating Payment.
If you are on income based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support
You should get the £58.75 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
You should get the £58.75 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 £58.75 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
-
the disability element of Child Tax Credit
- a child under five-years-old
When you will get the payment
Payments for winter 2024/25 will start in the middle of December with the majority of eligible households receiving the payment before the end of February 2025.
If you are eligible, you will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland before they make the payment.