Cold Weather Payments are triggered when temperatures are, or are forecast to be, below freezing across seven consecutive days. People in many different parts of the UK have received the payment in recent weeks.
However, this is not the case in Scotland, where the Cold Weather Payment has been replaced by the Winter Heating Payment.
This is a one-off £50 payment that goes out to eligible people regardless of the weather conditions.
Payments for this winter are expected to be made from February 2023. People will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland in advance of the payment, to explain how the process will work.
The money should arrive automatically in people’s bank accounts, with no need to fill in any paperwork.
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To receive the Winter Heating Payment, a person must have received one of these benefits during the qualifying week, from November 7 to 13:
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Income Support
- Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Related Employment Support Allowance
- Support for Mortgage Interest.
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A person will also get the payment if they get a child disability premium within Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
A person will usually get the payment if they get income-related Employment Support Allowance and have any of these:
- 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 five.
Those receiving Support for Mortgage Interest will usually get the payment if they have any of the following:
- A disability premium
- A pensioner premium
- A child disability premium
- A child under five.