The Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Regulations 2025: Further Scottish Government response to SCoSS

Ed Pybus
Chair
Scottish Commission on Social Security (SCoSS)
Area 1C South
Victoria Quay
EDINBURGH
EH6 6QQ

20 June 2025

Dear Ed,

Thank you for your letter of 16 June confirming your scrutiny of the updated provisions within the Winter Heating Assistance (Pension Age) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025.

As you will be aware, on 9 June the UK Government announced an intention to expand eligibility to the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) to those with an individual income of £35,000 or less per year. This decision was announced with no prior engagement with the Scottish Government, and Ministers and Officials have worked at pace to understand the implications of the UK Government’s decision.

Following careful consideration of the options available, the Scottish Government has decided to mirror the approach taken by the UK Government for our Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP). From this winter onwards, it is intended that PAWHP will be a payment of £203.40 per pensioner household with no individual aged 80 or over, or £305.10 per pensioner households with an individual aged 80 or over. We are in discussion with the UK Government to extend the proposed arrangements in England and Wales to recover payments from those pensioners with an individual income of more than £35,000 through the tax system. The intention is that the payment will be recovered automatically, and pensioners will not need to register with HMRC for this or take any further action.

As such, to introduce this payment, we will withdraw the regulations currently before the Scottish Parliament and bring forward amendment regulations in due course. We will provide you with the draft regulations for scrutiny under section 97 of the 2018 Social Security (Scotland) Act as soon as is practicable. Further details will be provided once we have agreed a revised timetable.

In taking this decision Ministers have considered carefully the importance of prioritising the additional funding available to those who need it most. This approach will ensure that a higher level of support will be provided to those most in need, with over 720,000 Scottish pensioners estimated to benefit from the higher payment. Revised Impact Assessments will be updated and published alongside the updated regulations.

Yours Sincerely,

SHIRLEY-ANNE SOMERVILLE