The Scottish Government has confirmed the amounts, eligibility and qualifying period for Pension Age Winter Heating Payments.
Pension Credit – Could you or someone you know be eligible?
The Scottish Government has confirmed details of this year’s Pension Age Winter Heating Payments (PAWHP) which are due to start landing in bank accounts from November. The devolved benefit has now replaced Winter Fuel Payments for all pensioners with a Scottish postcode and follows similar eligibility rules to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
However, Scots pensioners will see a slight increase in the amounts issued by Social Security Scotland as they increased in April as part of the annual uprating exercise. The payments of £101.70, £203.40 and £305.10 will be made automatically to pensioners born before September 21, 1959 with an income at or below £35,000.
Similar to the Winter Fuel Payment policy, pensioners in Scotland will also be able to opt out receiving the payment. More information on how to do this will be available by Autumn 2025.
READ MORE: HMRC issues urgent Winter Fuel Payment warning to every pensioner due up to £300READ MORE: DWP confirms Winter Fuel Payment dates and amounts due for every pensioner household
The newly updated guidance on MYGOV.SCOT gives an overview of the benefit, eligibility, qualifying criteria and the payment rates.
How much money you will receive is based on:
your agethe age of anyone you live with who is also eligible for Pension Age Winter Heating Paymentif you receive certain benefits from DWP as a joint award
The guidance adds: “Most eligible people will be paid automatically. These payments will be made from November 2025.
“If your taxable income is over £35,000, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will take back your Pension Age Winter Heating Payment through the tax system.”
Remember, if your income is above £35,000 you will be able to opt out.
Payment rates
Full details on the payments will be published before the Autumn, but as a general guide:
£101.70 – pensioners living in residential care£2003.40 – pensioners born between September 22, 1945 and September 21, 1959£305.10 – pensioners born before September 22, 1945
It had also stated that people aged between 66 and 79 on a qualifying means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit will receive £203. 40 and those aged 80 and over on a qualifying means-tested benefit will receive £305.10.
Eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
Social Security Scotland will check your eligibility during the qualifying week of Monday, September 15 to Sunday, September 21, 2025.
To be eligible, you must have:
been born on, or before, September 21, 1959lived in Scotland during 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 not be eligible for winter 2025 to 2026 if all the following apply to you:
you were in residential care for the whole qualifying week, andyou went into care before June 23, 2025, and during the qualifying week, you were in receipt of Pension Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, Universal Credit
To be eligible, you still need to:
be born on, or before, September 21, 1959live in Scotland
You can read the latest information on this year’s Pension Age Winter Heating Payment on MYGOV.SCOT here.
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