Child Winter Heating Payment

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This advice applies in Scotland only.

Child Winter Heating Payment is an annual payment to help families with severely-disabled children pay their winter heating costs.

Eligibility

Child Winter Heating Payment goes to each family in Scotland with a child under 19 who qualifies for one of the following qualifying benefits:

• The care component of either Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Child Disability Payment at the highest rate.

• The daily living component of either Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment at the enhanced rate.

You will get Child Winter Heating Payment for each child in your family who gets one of the qualifying disability benefits. It doesn’t matter what other income you have.

The payment is an annual lump sum. This is worth £255.80 in winter 2025/26.

To qualify in Winter 2025/26, your child must have been receiving the qualifying benefit component for at least one day during the first week in November. This includes where payment of the disability benefit had stopped in that week because they were in residential accommodation.

If your child doesn’t get the benefit until some point after the first week in November, but the award was backdated to cover that week, you should still qualify. However, you may need to contact Social Security Scotland to request that they issue a payment.

Normally, a child must live in Scotland to get the award. Special rules mean that children on a qualifying disability benefit living in an EEA country or Switzerland can sometimes get the award if they have a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland.

How will I receive the payment?

If you’re eligible, you’ll receive the payment automatically based on Department for Work and Pensions / Social Security Scotland records. You do not need to apply unless your child is living outside of the UK. Payments arrive in batches throughout the winter.

If you think you should qualify but did not receive a letter about this by 31 December 2025, contact Social Security Scotland. You can call them on 0800 182 2222. 

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