Heating payment for thousands

The MSP for East Kilbride says her constituents will be“better off”under the SNP’s new Winter Heating Payment scheme.

Collette Stevenson welcomed the news that many locals will receive an automatic £50 from the Scottish Government’s new benefit in the coming weeks.

The new payment replaces the Cold Weather Payment – a Westminster benefit administered by the DWP – that only paid out when the temperature at certain weather stations fell far enough for an extended period. This meant many areas across Scotland missed out on any help at all from one year to the next.

Last winter, no cold weather payments were made across whole swathes of the country – including in East Kilbride.

In total, only 11,000 people in the whole of the country received the cash from Westminster. The new Scottish benefit will see £20 million put into the pockets of 415,000 households in the next few weeks.

This year around 26,400 households in South Lanarkshire alone will get an extra £50 to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

The money will be delivered to eligible households in the coming weeks.

Ms Stevenson said:“Under the previous UK Government scheme, people in East Kilbride could only receive a payment if the weather station at Bishopton recorded freezing temperatures for seven days or more. Given our climate in East Kilbride is often quite different to places like Bishopton, which is lower down, this system was not fit-for-purpose.

“Figures show that, in the previous 10 years, only five payments have been made to eligible East Kilbride residents – totalling £125 per recipient. Under the Scottish Government’s approach – which will pay out every year – people in East Kilbride would have been £375 better off over this period. I welcome the SNP Scottish Government’s new Winter Heating Payment – this is a massive improvement and will make people in East Kilbride better off.”

Your eligibility for Winter Heating Payment is assessed by Social Security Scotland. They look at what benefits you’re receiving and your circumstances from the ‘qualifying week’November 7 to November 13, 2022.

Payments for winter 2022 are expected to be made from February 2023. Those eligible will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland before they make the payment.

Guidance on Scot.Gov states:“Social Security Scotland and DWP are working together to transfer this benefit. Most eligible clients will receive this payment automatically.”