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.

The payment is made by Social Security Scotland to most people over State Pension age. Payments will 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.