One-off payments of £265.50 will automatically be issued to UK households on four benefits from October to help pay winter heating bills. The payment comes from the Scottish Government to help disabled children, young people and their families with increased heating costs over the colder months.
This Child Heating Payment is not available anywhere else in the UK, so if you’re based outside of Scotland you cannot qualify for it. The Scottish Government first introduced the payment back in 2020 and it is paid to eligible homes once per year from October.
Who qualifies for the payment
This year, the payment is worth £265.50 and more than 480,000 families in Scotland are expected to receive it this year. Children and young people in Scotland will be eligible for the payment if they're under 19 years old and get one of the four 'qualifying benefits':
- the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
- the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
- the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
- the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
They must have been getting one of these benefits on at least one day in the third full week of September, from September 21 to 29. If there is more than one child or young person who qualifies in a household, they will each get a payment of £265.50.
How the payment is made
Households don’t need to show receipts or proof of how they spend the money, and the payment does not depend on how cold the weather is. The payment will usually be paid into the same bank account as their Child Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance for children, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment.
Confirming the automatic payments from this month, the Scottish Government said: “Families of over 48,000 disabled children and young people are estimated to be supported with Child Winter Heating Payment in 2026/27.
“It is paid automatically to the families of children and young people under 19 who receive the highest levels of disability support. The payment for winter 2026/27 is £265.50.”
Other winter support across the UK
Elsewhere in the UK, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed around six million households across Britain will receive a Warm Home Discount this winter.
From Thursday, October 22, eligible households are being urged to check their doormats and letterboxes for confirmation they will get £150 off their energy bills, with the discount to be automatically applied to electricity bills by March 31, 2027.
This comes in addition to a VAT cut on electricity bills in October, which the UK government says will save households an average of £45 per year, and removing £150 of costs off bills earlier this year.
Minister for Energy Consumers Polly Billington said: “I know that many families will be struggling with their energy bills this winter.
“That is why I urge those who think they qualify for the Warm Home Discount to keep an eye out for a letter confirming their eligibility.
“Energy is an absolute essential, which is exactly why in October we cut VAT on all electricity bills and earlier this year we removed £150 of costs off bills, giving families breathing space this winter.”
