Pension Age Winter Heating Payment Consultation: FOI release

Information requested

1. Regarding the decision to increase the Pension Age Winter Heating Payments to all pensioners – which bodies/organisations were consulted?

2. What impact assessments were conducted regarding the decision to set the payment at £100 as opposed to £200-£300? Was a cost benefit analysis under taken?

3. If so can I have copy of this report?

Response

The answer to your questions is:

1. As with all Social Security benefits, during the development of this benefit we consulted between 23 October 2023 and 15 January 2024 on the delivery of Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. The consultation proposed eligibility for payments to all relevant people of pensionable age on a ‘like-forlike’ basis to WFP, the equivalent DWP benefit. The consultation also covered other aspects of the eligibility criteria, and the value, form and timing of the payment. The consultation asked about the following areas:

• Whether the proposals are likely to meet the policy intent;
• Whether the eligibility criteria are clear;
• The amount, form and timing of the payment;
• Our assessment of the impact of the policy;
• Improvements that would support rural/island communities; and,
• Potential longer term development of PAWHP to provide effective support.

We received 906 responses to the consultation: 25 were submitted on behalf of organisations including Age Scotland, The Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Pannel, The ALLIANCE, Energy Action Scotland, Independent Age, Citizen’s Advice Bureau Scotland, Inclusion Scotland, National Carer Organisations and Scottish Community Safety Network. 881 responses were made by private individuals.

Officials met directly with key stakeholders ahead of them responding to the consultation to discuss our proposals, to gain an understanding of responses and to discuss any concerns. That included Consumer Scotland,  Age Scotland, Energy Action Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland.

Further information on the consultation is available on the gov.scot website: Pension Age Winter Heating Payment - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space

2. The overall impacts of the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2025-26 were appropriately assessed against our statutory duties and the relevant impact assessment documents were published along with the Scottish Budget. In terms of the decision taken to introduce a universal Pension Age Winter Heating Payment for winter 2025-26, prior to this announcement work had been undertaken by officials to assess equalities considerations and feed in to impact assessments for the Budget; and impacts will be kept under review on an ongoing basis ahead of the decision being implemented in regulations before next winter.

3. This information is available on the gov.scot website: Chapter 1: The budget process, equality and fairness - Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026: Equality and Fairer Scotland Budget Statement - gov.scot and Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026 - gov.scot. Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

This exemption is not subject to the 'public interest test', so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.