Child Winter Heating Assistance

What is Child Winter Heating Assistance

Child Winter Heating Assistance is a benefit payment for parents and carers to help with household costs for disabled children and young people. It’s paid by Social Security Scotland.

You do not need to show proof of how you spend the money.

How much is it

Child Winter Heating Assistance is a payment of £214.10 for an eligible child or young person in the household. 

It’s paid once a year.

If you have more than 1 eligible child or young person in the household, they'll each get the payment.

Who can get Child Winter Heating Assistance

If you’re under 19 and live in Scotland, you’ll get Child Winter Heating Assistance if you're getting 1 of the following benefits:

• the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children
• the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment.

You must be getting the benefit on at least 1 day during the 'qualifying week'.

The qualifying week is the third week in September every year. In 2021 it was 20 to 26 September. 

You’ll be paid the Child Winter Heating Assistance automatically. You do not need to apply, unless you live part of the year abroad.

You’ll get a letter in advance telling you that you’re getting the payment.

How Child Winter Heating Assistance is paid

You’ll get the payment during winter, when heating costs are higher.

It’s paid into the same bank account as your DLA for children, Child Disability Payment, PIP or Adult Disability Payment.

This might be the bank account of a parent or carer who acts on behalf of the child or young person.

Payments are sent out at the end of November each year. The payment should be in your bank account by the second week of December.

If you do not get Child Winter Heating Assistance

If you were expecting to get Child Winter Heating Assistance automatically but do not get it, you should check if there's been a mistake by contacting Social Security Scotland.

You might not have got the payment because:

• the Department for Work and Pensions did not pass your details to Social Security Scotland 
• you were not getting the highest rate of the care component of DLA or Child Disability Payment, or the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP or Adult Disability Payment, in the qualifying week
• Social Security Scotland do not think you're eligible. You can ask for the decision to be looked at again, this is called a re-determination.

If a child or young person was in hospital or residential care in the qualifying week, they should still get Child Winter Heating Assistance automatically.

If you’re paid Child Winter Heating Assistance by mistake

If you're paid by mistake or you're paid too much money, you might have to pay the money back to Social Security Scotland.

They'll get in touch with you and discuss how you might pay the money back. They'll take your financial circumstances into consideration. Find out more about overpayments of Scottish benefits.

Child Winter Heating Assistance and other benefits

Getting Child Winter Heating Assistance should not affect your other benefits.

If you get Universal Credit, a Child Winter Heating Assistance payment won't be counted as savings for 52 weeks. This means if you spend the payment before you get the next one, it should not affect your Universal Credit claim.

If you apply for Council Tax Reduction, Child Winter Heating Assistance should not be taken into account as income.

How to contact Social Security Scotland