Pension Age Winter Heating Payment: Fairer Scotland Duty assessment

Conclusion

The introduction of universal eligibility to PAWHP will provide support to all pensioner households during the winter months. This Fairer Scotland Duty has identified that the introduction of a universal PAWHP is likely to have a positive impact on reducing inequality and tackling poverty for older people by continuing to mitigate some of the winter heating costs experienced by older people.

Scottish Government analysis has found that, by applying the current restricted PAWHP eligibility criteria to the 2023 Scottish House Condition Survey data (which included the 2023 criteria for WFP), the 2023 fuel poverty rate would increase by around 10,000 households (to 871,000) and the extreme fuel poverty rate by around 10,000 households (to 501,000).

Conversely, the introduction of universal eligibility to PAWHP would move around 5,000 households out of fuel poverty and 6,000 households out of extreme fuel poverty, resulting in 865,000 fuel poor and 495,000 extreme fuel poor households.

Universal PAWHP will provide a payment of at least £100 to all pensioner households, providing universal, reliable financial support to people of pension age who are more vulnerable to cold temperatures due to their age and therefore have a greater need for household heating.

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Name: Ian Davidson

Job title: Head of Social Security Policy