Automatic £316.70 payments confirmed for state pensioners from November

Automatic £316.70 payments confirmed for state pensioners from November Letters will be sent out later this year to confirm payments. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Claire Schofield 06:45, Sun, Nov 1, 2026 Pension Age Winter Heating Payments will be paid to eligible pensioners in Scotland from November (Image: Getty) Automatic payments of up to £316.70 have been confirmed for eligible state pensioners from November to help pay heating bills this winter.

The money comes from a Pension Age Winter Heating Payment which is awarded to people of State Pension age in Scotland as a replacement for the Winter Fuel Payment . As the Scottish Government now has its own social security system, some Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) benefits have been replaced with new benefits in Scotland, such as the Winter Fuel Payment . If you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are of State Pension age, you’ll get a Winter Fuel Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from November instead.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Pension Age Winter Heating Payments are issued by Social Security Scotland once per year and around 879,000 pensioners are expected to benefit from the support this winter. The Scottish Fiscal Commission has forecast that around 1.059 million payments will be made in winter 2027 to 2027, with the number of payments recovered by HMRC estimated to be 180,000. Get personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . HMRC sending tax bills to state pensioners with Winter Fuel Payments £265.50 automatic payments confirmed for households on 4 benefits Pension Age Winter Heating Payments are worth between £105.55 and £316.70 and will be issued to eligible pensioners automatically from November, meaning most people don’t need to apply to get it this winter.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The exact amount you’ll be paid will depend on your age in the qualifying week, but single pensioners born between September 28, 1946 and June 27, 1960, can expect to get £211.15, while single older pensioners born before September 28, 1946, can expect to get the maximum amount at £316.70. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT To be eligible for the payment, you must have been born on, or before, June 27, 1960 (the same criteria as the DWP Winter Fuel Payment), and you must be living in Scotland on at least the last day of the ‘qualifying week’.

For winter 2026 to 2027, Social Security Scotland has confirmed the qualifying week is from Monday, September 21, to Sunday, September 27, 2026. If you meet the qualifying criteria, you will receive a letter to confirm your payment from November 2026, with payments then rolling out automatically. Confirming the payments from November, the Scottish Government said: “Pension Age Winter Heating Payment has replaced Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland, providing people of State Pension age with a payment between £105.55 and £316.70 depending on their age and household circumstances.

"Payments are issued to all eligible pensioners but are recovered from those with an individual income of over £35,000 by HMRC . Payments will begin from November and continue throughout the winter." Social Security Scotland will send out letters before payments are made to confirm the amount you'll get this winter. Your payment will then be made to the same bank account as your State Pension, or any Social Security Scotland benefits you get.

Pensioners with a total annual individual income of more than £35,000 will have their Winter Fuel Payment taken back by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), similarly to pensioners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. HMRC will take back the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment either by changing your tax code for the 2027 to 2028 tax year, or adding the amount to your 2026 to 2027 Self Assessment tax return. State Pension Winter fuel payment Social Security Benefits Scotland Heating Energy bills Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments