THOUSANDS of Scots could pocket a £60 bonus with a one-off heating payment this winter.
With households across the country bracing for the coldest December of the decade, folk are feeling the crunch of rising energy bills.
After Winter Fuel Payments were axed for nearly one million Scots, a helping hand to heat homes wouldn’t go amiss this winter.
And soon, thousands of Scots will receive a cash boost with the new Winter Heating Payment.
The grant will be given to eligible households to help pay for heating costs over the coldest months.
It is a devolved version of the Cold Weather Payment, but unlike the UK government’s initiative, the Scots scheme does not depend on whether the temperature outside drops below a certain level.
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The annual payment is a single, tax-free bonus of £58.75 and most people don’t even have to apply.
The allowance is automatically paid to eligible Scots already receiving certain benefits.
To qualify for the Winter Heating Payment, you must receive one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support or Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Related Employment Support Allowance
- Support for Mortgage Interest
The payment will be made between December and February of next year.
Eligible recipients will receive a letter before the money is paid out.
Eligibility for the Winter Heating Payment will be assessed by Social Security Scotland.
They will consider what benefits you are receiving and what your circumstances were between November 4 and November 10 – otherwise known as the ‘qualifying week’.
It will appear as ‘WHP’ on your bank statement.
What to do if you think yours is missing
IF your data does not automatically result in a payment, a Social Security Scotland will:
- look at your data again
- consider whether you are eligible or not
- pay you if you are eligible or
- write to you to explain their decision
If you’re worried that you have missed a Winter Heating Payment that you should have got, send Social Security Scotland a request.
Contact Social Security Scotland if you believe you are eligible for Winter Heating Payment but have not received any payment or notification.
Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222. Opening times are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
We previously told how thousands of Scots missed out on the Winter Heating Payment last year after a major blunder by the DWP.
Almost 40,000 people missed out after an error saw information not being shared between the UK and Scottish Governments.
