People over 66 could be eligible for separate cash payments to help with heating bills over the current financial year year.

People over State Pension age could be due a series of extra payments and energy bill help during the coming months from the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). There are four cash payments and one which is paid directly to energy suppliers, all worth up to £524.75 in additional support.

It’s important to be aware that most of these payments will not be issued until November at the earliest, but could be something to factor in now when working out household budgets nearer to Autumn – especially as energy bills typically increase significantly over the colder months due to higher usage.

Pension Age Winter Fuel Payment has now replaced the Winter Fuel Payment for all Scots pensioners. Most pensioners over 66 will receive either £203.40 or £305.10 from the Scottish Government this winter – depending on their age and household living arrangements.

READ MORE: New calls to increase weekly State Pension payments to £586 for every person aged over 60READ MORE: DWP confirms pensioners can claim Winter Fuel Payment of up to £300 from next monthWinter Fuel Payments

More than 9 million pensioners in England and Wales will automatically receive this year’s Winter Fuel Payment following a U-turn by the UK Government on its decision to restrict the annual heating allowance to pensioners in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit.

Payments of £200 for those aged between 66 and 79, or £300 for those aged 80 and over, will be issued automatically later this year to pensioners born before September 22, 1959.

Pensioners with an annual income of £35,000 or more will not be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. Those above the threshold will need to pay the money back either through PAYE or a Self Assessment tax return, however, an option to opt-out of the payment has also been announced.

Pensioners must opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment before September 15 – full details on GOV.UK here.

Shortly after the announcement, the Scottish Government confirmed it will also follow the policy change for all pensioners born before September 22, 1959.

Financial help for pensioner households

Financial help on the way before March 31, 2026 includes:

  • Winter Heating Payment (£59.75) – cash payment issued by the Scottish Government
  • Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (£205 – £305) – cash payment issued by the Scottish Government
  • Winter Fuel Payment (£100 – £300) – cash payments issued by DWP to pensioners in England and Wales only
  • Warm Home Discount (£150) – paid directly from DWP to energy providers and usually added as credit to customer’s electricity account
  • DWP Christmas Bonus (£10) – issued by DWP

Someone aged between 66 and 79, living in Scotland, could potentially receive £273.15 from the three cash payments before the end of March 2026. However, most of these will be issued before the end of this year.

This is made up of:

  • £203.40 from the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, due to be issued on November 30
  • £59.75 from the Winter Heating Payment
  • £10 DWP Christmas Bonus

Someone over 80, living in Scotland, could potentially receive £374.86 from the three cash payments before the end of March 2026. When you factor in the £150 Warm Home Discount help, paid directly to energy suppliers, this amounts to £524.86 in extra support.

This is made up of:

  • £305.10 from the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
  • £59.75 from the Winter Heating Payment
  • £10 DWP Christmas Bonus

Winter Heating Payment (£59.75) – Scotland only

Payments were issued in December last year and expected to be around the same time in 2025.

You may qualify for Winter Heating Payment automatically if you get one of these benefits:

  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit – full guide on eligibility here
  • Income Support or Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance – full guide on eligibility here
  • Income Related Employment Support Allowance – full guide on eligibility here
  • Support for Mortgage Interest – full guide on eligibility here

The qualifying week for this year’s payment will be in early November, typically the first full week – we will update this article once more details have been released. Find out more on the dedicated pages on MYGOV.SCOT here.

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment – between£203.40 – £305.10

Eligible people over State Pension age living in Scotland will automatically receive a one-off heating payment of up to £305.10 from November.

  • Those eligible aged between 66 and 79 will be paid £203.40
  • Those eligible aged 80 and over will be paid £305.10

To be eligible for the 2025 payment, you must have been born before September 22, 1959.

During the qualifying week – September 15-21 – you must also:

  • live in Scotland, or an eligible country abroad

Winter Fuel Payments – between £200 and £300 (not Scotland)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that the 2025/26 Winter Fuel Payment will be issued to everyone born before September 22, 1959.

Payments of £200 will be issued automatically to those aged between 66 and 79, while those aged 80 or over will receive £300. Nobody needs to claim the payment.

Pensioners also need to have an annual income of under £35,000 to qualify for the payment this winter. Details of an option to opt out of the payments will be announced in due course.

Full details on how much people will receive from DWP – depending on their household age and living arrangements can be found on GOV.UK here.

Warm Home Discount – £150 paid to energy provider

The Warm Home Discount Scheme for winter 2025 to 2026 usually opens in October and will give people on certain benefits £150 off their electricity bill.

The money is paid directly by the DWP to energy suppliers between October and March. Eligible households may also be able to get the discount off their gas bill instead – if their supplier provides them with both gas and electricity, just contact them once the scheme opens to find out.

If you’re a credit customer the £150 will be added to your electricity account and if you’re on Pay As You Go or Prepayment, you’ll be sent a voucher that you can use to top-up your meter.

Eligibility rules are changing this year to provide the support to more households – you can read about this here.

We will update this article with details for this winter as soon as they are published. You can read more about the changes to eligibility on GOV.UK here.

DWP Christmas Bonus – £10

The bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made to people in receipt of State Pension or those claiming certain other benefits during the qualifying week – usually the first full week of December.

Nobody needs to apply for the extra £10 as it should automatically go into the account where you usually receive your State Pension or benefit payment. It is made as a separate payment, independent of your scheduled State Pension or benefit payment, so it may arrive on a different day.

Eligible benefits

  • Adult Disability Payment
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Carer Support Payment
  • Child Disability Payment
  • Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
  • Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
  • Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
  • Mobility Supplement
  • Pension Credit – the guarantee element
  • Pension Age Disability Payment
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
  • Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
  • Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
  • War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
  • War Widow’s Pension
  • Widowed Mother’s Allowance
  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance
  • Widow’s Pension

Find out more about the Christmas Bonus here.

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