Social Security Scotland - Winter Fuel Payment queries: FOI release

Information requested

In relation to the Winter Fuel Payment:

Request for information 1: In which months recipients are scheduled to receive their Winter Fuel Payment.

Request for information 2: What steps were taken to inform recipients of the expected timing of their payment, including any letters or other forms of communication issued.

Request for information 3: The number of recipients who received a Winter Fuel Payment in:

a) November
b) December
c) January
d) February

Request for information 4: The number of recipients who had not received any Winter Fuel Payment by 28 February 2026.

If any of this information is held in a different format or time period, I would be grateful if you could provide the closest available equivalent.

Response

Requests for information 1 through 4:

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested. This is because Social Security Scotland do not deliver Winter Fuel Payment. Winter Fuel Payment is administered and delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that Social Security Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

You may wish to make a Freedom of Information request to the Department for Work and Pensions at: Make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to DWP - GOV.UK

To advise and assist you, Social Security Scotland administer and deliver Winter Heating Payment, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment and Child Winter Heating Payment. You may be interested in our official published statistics for Winter Heating Benefits at the following page:

Winter Heating Benefits: Statistics for Winter 2024/2025 - Social Security Scotland

Management information for Child Winter Heating Payment, Winter Heating Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment up to 21 February 2026 is published here: Child Winter Heating Payment, Winter Heating Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment management information release to 21 February 2026 - Social Security Scotland

Winter Fuel Payment has been replaced in Scotland by Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

A release of Official Statistics on Child Winter Heating Payment, Winter Heating Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will be published on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

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.