What is the Winter Heating Payment?

What Winter Heating Payment is

Winter Heating Payment is a yearly payment from Social Security Scotland. It helps people on certain low income benefits pay for heating in winter.

It is the Scottish replacement for Cold Weather Payment. People in Scotland cannot get Cold Weather Payment. The big difference is that Winter Heating Payment does not depend on the weather. You get one payment each winter, however cold it is.

How much it is

It is a single payment, not a weekly amount.

Who it is for

You get it if you get one of these benefits during the qualifying week, and meet the extra conditions for that benefit:

• Pension Credit: no other conditions.
• Universal Credit: if you are working, your award must include the disabled child amount. If you are not working, you need a child under 5, the disabled child amount, or limited capability for work (or for work and work-related activity).
• Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance: you need a child under 5, or a disability, severe disability, pensioner or child disability premium.
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance: you need a child under 5, to be in the work-related activity group or support group, or a qualifying premium.
• Support for Mortgage Interest: you need a child under 5 or a qualifying premium.

The qualifying week for winter 2026 to 2027 is 2 to 8 November 2026. Social Security Scotland uses your benefit details from that week to decide if you qualify.

How to get it

You do not need to apply. If you qualify, it is paid automatically. Payments go out from December and through the winter. The payment shows as "WHP" on your bank statement.

If you think you missed it

If you think you should have got a payment but did not, ask Social Security Scotland to look again. You can:

1. download the Winter Heating Payment request form, fill it in and post it to Social Security Scotland, PO Box 10326, Dundee, DD1 9HB, or
2. call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Things to know

• Pensioners in Scotland may also be able to get Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which is a separate payment.
• Families of disabled children may get Child Winter Heating Payment, which is also a separate payment.

Related guides

• What is a Cold Weather Payment?
• Can I get the Winter Fuel Payment?
• What is the Warm Home Discount?
• What is Pension Credit?

Where these figures come from

• Winter Heating Payment, mygov.scot
• Winter Heating Payment eligibility, mygov.scot
• Request a Winter Heating Payment, mygov.scot
• Help with energy bills, mygov.scot
• Winter heating payments update, Social Security Scotland
• Cold Weather Payment, GOV.UK
• The Winter Heating Assistance (Low Income) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, regulation 4