Winter Heating Payments of £58.75 will be paid automatically from December 2024 to people receiving certain benefits, according to the British Gas Energy Trust1. The payment sits alongside two other forms of support for Scottish households this winter: Child Winter Heating Payments of £251.50 and Warm Home Discounts of £1501.
The £58.75 Winter Heating Payment is given automatically to people receiving certain benefits, with payment from December 20241. The Child Winter Heating Payment, worth £251.50, goes to parents and carers of disabled children and young people under 19 who receive a qualifying benefit1. The Warm Home Discount is a £150 payment towards energy costs for people on certain benefits, and this year's scheme opens in October 20241.
The Scottish Government has scaled back eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment, following the UK Government's decision to do the same, and has delayed the launch of its new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment until next year1. That new payment will eventually replace the Winter Fuel Payment1.
The figures come amid rising energy debt in Scotland. Citizens Advice clients in Scotland have an average of £2,300 of energy arrears, a figure that rises to £3,000 in rural areas1. Vadims Dzevaltovskis, Project Lead at Aberdeen Citizens Advice Bureau, said the charity was seeing more people year-on-year1.
"Most of the clients we see are in emergency credit. A lot are on prepayment meters"
Ewan Mansley, Energy Support Adviser at THAW Orkney, said genuine debts run up to £7,000 in the cases the charity sees, and that one client was recently told they were over £12,000 in debt when an incorrect meter reading meant they were actually £500 in credit1. One in six of THAW Orkney's clients would need to spend all of their income on energy costs to heat their home to an adequate temperature through winter1.
| Support | Amount | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Heating Payment | £58.75 | Paid from December 2024 |
| Child Winter Heating Payment | £251.50 | Not stated |
| Warm Home Discount | £150 | Scheme opens October 2024 |
Why it matters for households
The £58.75 payment is automatic for those receiving certain benefits, so it does not require an application, though the qualifying benefits are not set out in the announcement1. For a household managing arrears, the sum is small against the average £2,300 of energy debt reported among Citizens Advice clients in Scotland, and smaller still against the £3,000 average in rural areas1. Households that previously expected the Winter Fuel Payment face a changed picture, with eligibility scaled back and the replacement Pension Age Winter Heating Payment not launching until next year1. The Winter Fuel Payment and who qualifies for it are set out separately, and the Warm Home Discount compared with the Winter Fuel Payment covers how the two differ. Households on oil heating can check what heating system they can get under NISEP, and the grants and schemes hub lists the wider set of support.
What happens next
The Warm Home Discount scheme opens in October 20241. Winter Heating Payments are paid from December 20241. The Pension Age Winter Heating Payment has been delayed until next year1. No date has been reported for the Child Winter Heating Payment.
Sources1 cited
- Scotland experiences rising energy debt levels - British Gas Energy Trust, britishgasenergytrust.org.uk