We all need a little bit of help sometimes. Especially in winter, when purse stringers are as tight as the scarf you are wearing at home because the heating is so bloomin’ expensive!
This is even more true if you are young and disabled, or have a child who is disabled.
People in Scotland are lucky in that they get some help from the government in this regard. It’s a benefit known as the Scotland Child Winter Heating Payment. It used to be called the Child Winter Heating Assistance, so you may know it by that name instead.
I will shed some light on what it is, how it works, and who can claim this benefit below.
Who it’s For
Despite what many people might think, the Scotland Child Winter Heating Payment is a benefit for the child or young person, not the parent.
However, it is paid to the parent or guardian on behalf of the child if they are under 16 years old.
In order to get the payment, you or your child will need to be under 19 years old and receiving at least one of the following qualifying benefits:
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- the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
- the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
- the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
- the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
If you are on one of these benefits already, the Child Winter Heating Payment will be paid to you automatically. You don’t need to apply for it. Anyone eligible will get a letter from Social Security Scotland explaining when it will be paid and into what bank account.
The only other proviso is that you must be in receipt of one of these benefits for at least one day during the 3rd full week of September in order to qualify. So for anyone with long standing claims it won’t be an issue, but for anyone with new claims, the timing might come into it.
The payment is designed to make the winter months less difficult for struggling families and young people by subsidising the extra cost of heating their homes.
Living in EEA Countries
You could even qualify for this help if you live in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland if you are getting certain benefits and can prove a strong enough link to Scotland.
So for example, some who was born and lived in Scotland for many years before moving away.
However, the difference here is that you will have to apply for the benefit, it will not be given out automatically.
How is it Paid?
As I said, the authorities will already have your bank account details from your qualifying benefit, so they will pay the money into that same account.
If it is for a child under 16 it will go to the parent or guardian’s account, otherwise, it can go to the young person’s account directly. The idea being that not all disabled 16-19 year olds live with their families.
The money is paid in one go, and it is paid per child, so if there are two children living in the same house who meet the qualifying criteria, two payments will be made.
It will usually be paid in October or November as the heating costs begin to rise. The Scotland Child Winter Heating Payment is £251.50 per person at the time of writing, but this will obviously change as the years go on.
There is no requirement to show proof of the money being received, or where it was spent.
What if I Don’t Get it or Get Less?
If you were expecting the payment and it hasn’t come through, there are a few things you can do.
First and foremost, you should contact Social Security Scotland to find out why. The link has further information on how to do that, but their main channels of contact are:
- Free Phone – 0800 182 2222
- Via webchat – Follow this link
There is a postal address but that will take forever, so it’s best to call or chat online.
If you are told it is not a mistake and your payment has been refused, you can ask for a re-determination. This is basically appealing their decision so they will look at it again.
However, you need to act fast if you want to do this because you only have 42 days from the date you were refused.
The Scotland Child Winter Heating Payment should not affect any of your other benefits or be classed as income or savings, so technically, it should have no impact on your finances other than to boost them during winter.
