Winter Heating Payment replaces Cold Weather Payment in Scotland

The Winter Heating Payment is a yearly automatic payment from Social Security Scotland for people in Scotland who receive certain low-income benefits, replacing the Cold Weather Payment paid by the Department for Work and Pensions in England and Wales¹. It is not dependent on temperature, unlike the Cold Weather Payment, and is paid regardless of the weather¹.

Eligibility requires living in Scotland and receiving a qualifying benefit during the annual "qualifying week"¹. For 2024, that week ran from 4 November to 10 November 2024¹. The qualifying benefits are Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Support for Mortgage Interest and Pension Credit¹.

The payment for winter 2024-2025 was £58.75¹. Payments are expected each February, with payments for winter 2025-26 expected in February 2026¹. No application is needed: the payment is deposited automatically into the same bank account as the qualifying benefit, and Social Security Scotland sends a notification letter beforehand¹. The payment appears on bank statements with the reference "WHP"¹. Receiving it does not affect other benefits, including Universal Credit and the Winter Fuel Payment¹.

The Winter Heating Payment is separate from the Winter Fuel Payment, which is not available to Scottish residents³. For winter 2024/25, the DWP committed to make payments to eligible pensioners in Scotland on terms equivalent to Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales². From winter 2025/26, Scotland is to introduce the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment². A separate Child Winter Heating Payment is available to families of disabled children and young people, paid individually for each eligible child².

Why it matters for households

The payment reaches households in Scotland on means-tested and pension benefits without a claim, so eligibility turns on which benefits are in payment during the qualifying week rather than on how cold the winter is¹. Because it is not temperature-triggered, it pays in mild winters as well as severe ones, unlike the Cold Weather Payment in England and Wales, which pays £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March². The winter 2024-2025 rate of £58.75 is lower than a single Cold Weather Payment trigger, though the Scottish payment is made once a year regardless of conditions¹. Households that miss a payment can contact Social Security Scotland to request one³. The payment does not reduce Universal Credit or the Winter Fuel Payment¹.

What happens next

Payments for winter 2025-26 are expected in February 2026¹. From winter 2025/26, Scotland is to introduce the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment². The qualifying week for future years is published on mygov.scot¹.