Nearly 900,000 older people in Scotland will receive the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from November 16.

The Scottish Government has confirmed financial support to help people over State Pension age heat their homes this winter has started to roll out across the country. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will provide support to at least 880,000 pensioners to help cover the cost of higher energy bills.

The first payments have been processed and have started to land in bank accounts. Payments will continue to be made throughout the winter.

Eligible people of State Pension age will get a payment between £101.70 and £305.10 depending on their circumstances. Most people will receive their payment automatically and everyone who is eligible will receive a letter with details of their payment.

READ MORE: People over State Pension age due up to £524 in one-off payments this winterREAD MORE: People on any of these six benefits due extra £59 payment next month

For pensioners with a taxable income of over £35,000, the payment will be taken back through the tax system during 2026/27.

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.

“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.”

Payment rates

A full breakdown of payments for single pensioners and married couples of the same or mixed ages, can be found on MYGOV.SCOT, but as a general guide:

£101.70 – pensioners living in residential care£203.40 – single pensioners born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£305.10 -single pensioners born before September 22, 1945

Payments will go into the same bank account as your State Pension, or any Social Security Scotland benefits you get with the reference ‘PAWHP’.

A small number of people will need to apply and must do so before the deadline on March 31, 2026.

These include people who have deferred their State Pension or 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.

You can check whether you need to apply on the MYGOV website.

Eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment

Social Security Scotland will look at your situation during the qualifying week – this took place between September 15-21, 2025.

To be eligible, you must have:

been born on, or before, September 21, 1959lived in Scotland on at least the last day of the qualifying week

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 itwere in custody, under a sentence imposed by a court, for the whole qualifying weekneed permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says you cannot claim public fundsIf you live in residential care

Residential care means a care home or a hospital that is not part of the NHS.

You will be eligible if:

You were born on, or before, September 21, 1959live in Scotland

You will not be eligible if all of the following apply:

you were in residential care for the whole qualifying week (September 15-21)you went into care before June 23, 2025you 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 CreditUsing the online payment checker

You can use the online checker at MYGOV.SCOT to find out how much you will be paid, this depends on:

your agethe age of anyone you live with who is also eligibleif you live in residential careif you get certain other benefits and whether you get them as a joint award with your partnerGet the latest Record Money news

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