Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025: Policy Note

Summary Box

This instrument sets out the amended rules and eligibility criteria for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) from winter 2025/26. PAWHP is a form of assistance which provides a contribution towards meeting winter heating costs and is currently only available to pensioners who are in receipt of relevant benefits. In winter 2024/25, PAWHP was delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through an agency agreement with the Scottish Government by virtue of a section 93 Scotland Act Order. Following the amendments to the Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 brought about by these amendment regulations, PAWHP will be delivered for winter 2025/2026 onwards by Social Security Scotland and will generally be a payment of £203.40 or £305.10 per pensioner household, depending on age, although the total household payment value may vary depending on household composition. This payment will then be automatically recovered through taxation from those pensioners with an individual income of more than £35,000 per year.