Explainers

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) replaced the UK Government’s Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) in Scotland in winter 2024-25. PAWHP provides an annual payment to households with one or more people of State Pension age to help with heating costs during winter.

For winter 2025-26 onwards, the payment will be made by Social Security Scotland to most people over State Pension age. Payments will then be later recovered by HMRC from individuals who have a taxable annual income of £35,000 or more. Payment amounts depend on the person’s age, living arrangements, and whether they are in receipt of specific qualifying benefits.