Automatic payments of £211.15 have been confirmed for eligible state pensioners under the age of 80 from November. The money comes from a Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which will be paid to people of State Pension age who live in Scotland to help with heating costs this winter.
The payments, which are worth between £105.55 and £316.70, are issued by Social Security Scotland as a replacement for the Winter Fuel Payment for people in Scotland. To be eligible, you must have been born on or before June 27, 1960.
Who receives the payment
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and were born on or before June 27, 1960, you will receive a Winter Fuel Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this winter instead. In Scotland, the Pension Age Winter Fuel Payment will automatically be issued to those who are eligible from November, so you do not need to apply to get the money.
Social Security Scotland has confirmed that letters will be sent out to eligible pensioners from next month confirming the payment amount. Payments will start from November and continue throughout the winter, with the money paid into the same account as your State Pension, or any Social Security Scotland benefits you might get.
Qualifying criteria for winter 2026 to 2027
Qualifying criteria for winter 2026 to 2027 states that pensioners under the age of 80 who live alone will typically be awarded a Pension Age Winter Heating Payment of £211.15. This applies if you were born between September 28, 1946, and June 27, 1960, and no one else lives with you. Pensioners born between September 28, 1946, and June 27, 1960, who live with someone else who is eligible will get a payment of £105.55.
Social Security Scotland said: "The amount you’re paid depends on your age in the qualifying week. You were between 66 years and 3 months, to 79 years old. This means you were born between 28 September 1946 and 27 June 1960. You'll get £211.15."
Payment details and tax recovery
To be eligible for a Pension Age Winter Fuel Payment, you must have been born on or before June 27, 1960 (the same criteria as the DWP Winter Fuel Payment), and you must be living in Scotland on at least the last day of the ‘qualifying week’. For winter 2026 to 2027, Social Security Scotland has confirmed the qualifying week is from Monday, September 21, to Sunday, September 27, 2026.
If you meet the qualifying criteria, you will receive a letter to confirm your payment from November 2026, with payments then rolling out automatically. Confirming the payments for this winter, the government department added: "Most eligible people will be paid automatically. Payments started from November 2026 and continue throughout winter. You’ll get a letter before you’re paid to tell you how much you’ll get. Your payment will go into the same bank account as your State Pension, or any Social Security Scotland benefits you get."
The Scottish Fiscal Commission has forecast that around 1.059 million payments will be made in winter 2026-27, with the number of payments recovered estimated to be 180,000. Pensioners with a total annual individual income of more than £35,000 will have their Winter Fuel Payment taken back by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), similar to pensioners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. HMRC will take back the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment either by changing your tax code for the 2027 to 2028 tax year, or adding the amount to your 2026 to 2027 Self Assessment tax return.
