Who is eligible for Winter Heating Payment

Winter Heating Payment is for people in Scotland who:

• get a particular benefit – this is the ‘qualifying benefit’
• get the qualifying benefit on at least one day in the first full week of November – this is the ‘qualifying week’
• meet one other specific requirement of their qualifying benefit

The qualifying week for winter 2023 is 6 November to 12 November 2023.

Qualifying weeks for Winter Heating Payment

Year	Qualifying week
2023	6 November to 12 November
2022	7 November to 13 November

Qualifying benefits for Winter Heating Payment

To get Winter Heating Payment you must get one of the following benefits during the qualifying week:

• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income Related Employment Support Allowance
• Support for Mortgage Interest 

You must also meet at least one requirement of the benefit.

Qualifying benefits and requirements

Universal Credit and you're not in employment

You’ll usually get Winter Heating Payment if you’re not employed or self-employed and also have one of the following:

• a limited capability for work element
• a limited capability for work element with a work related activity element
• a child or young person disability element
• a child under 5

Universal Credit and you're employed

You’ll usually get Winter Heating Payment if you’re employed or self-employed and get a child or young person disability element.

Find out more about Universal Credit on GOV.UK.

Pension Credit

You’ll usually get Winter Heating Payment if you receive Pension Credit.

Find out more about Pension Credit on GOV.UK.

Income based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support

You’ll usually get Winter Heating Payment if you get Income based Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support and have any of the following:

• a disability premium
• a severe disability premium
• a pensioner premium
• the disability element of Child Tax Credit
• a child under 5

Or receive child disability premium within:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seeker's Allowance

Find out more about:

• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance on GOV.UK
• Income Support on GOV.UK

Income Related Employment Support Allowance

You’ll usually get Winter Heating Payment if you receive Income Related Employment Support Allowance and have any of the following:

• placed in a support group or a work related activity group
• a severe or enhanced disability premium
• a pensioner premium
• the disability element of Child Tax Credit
• a child under 5

Find out more about Income Related Employment Support Allowance on GOV.UK.

Support for Mortgage Interest

You’ll usually get Winter Heating Payment if you receive Support for Mortgage Interest and have any of the following:

• a disability premium
• a pensioner premium
• a child disability premium
• the disability element of Child Tax Credit
• a child under 5 

Find out more about Support for Mortgage Interest on GOV.UK.