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

The policy note which accompanies the Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025


Amount of Payment

Household composition will be taken into consideration when determining payment amount. Generally, a household with individuals who are state pension age but under 80 will receive £203.40, while households with an individual over 80 will generally receive £305.10.

Household composition

State pension age during qualifying week but under 80

80 or over during qualifying week

Person qualifies and lives alone (or none of the people they live with qualify)

£203.40

£305.10

Person qualifies and lives with someone under 80 who also qualifies

£101.70

£203.40

Person qualifies and lives with someone 80 or over who also qualifies

£101.70

£152.55

Person qualifies and lives in a care home and does not get certain benefits

£101.70

£152.55

Payment value may be different if the client or their partner get one of the following benefits:

  • Pension Credit
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Income Support
  • Universal Credit

Where someone receives Pension Credit, for example, (either individually or jointly) a single payment to the lead claimant will be made and this will always be the maximum value available for the age bracket of those in that claim, acknowledging that they have a lower income and therefore may require additional support.

Household composition

State pension age during qualifying week but under 80

80 or over during qualifying week

Qualifies if person gets one of the benefits and lives alone (or none of the people they live with qualify)

£203.40

£305.10

Person qualifies and lives with someone who also gets one of the benefits (joint claim)

£203.40 – only the lead claimant will get the payment

£305.10 – only the lead claimant will get the payment

Person qualifies, lives in a care home and gets one of the benefits

Nil

Nil

These payments will be automatically recovered through taxation from those pensioners with a personal income of over £35,000 per year, however this tax charge will be introduced through separate legislation brought forward by the UK Government and will not be brought forward within the Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025.

Contact

Email: winterbenefitspolicy@gov.scot

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