Daily Express, on UK Politics, 23 October 2026

7.3out of 10Serious

£265.50 automatic payments confirmed for households on 4 benefits

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£265.50 automatic payments confirmed for households on 4 benefits The one-off winter payment is not dependent on how cold the weather is. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Claire Schofield 09:21, Fri, Oct 23, 2026 Updated: 09:26, Fri, Oct 23, 2026 The payments will be issued to eligible households from October (Image: Getty) to help pay winter heating bills.

The payment comes from the Scottish Government to help disabled children, young people and their families with increased heating costs over the colder months . This Child Heating Payment is not available anywhere else in the UK, so if you’re based outside of Scotland you cannot qualify for it. The Scottish Government first introduced the payment back in 2020 and it is paid to eligible homes once per year from October. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT This year, the payment is worth £265.50 and .

Children and young people in Scotland will be eligible for the payment if they're under 19 years old and get one of the four 'qualifying benefits': the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment 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 . the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment They must have been getting one of these benefits on at least one day in .

If there is more than one child or young person who qualifies in a household, they will each get a payment of £265.50. Households don’t need to show receipts or proof of how they spend the money, and the payment does not depend on how cold the weather is. The payment will usually be paid into the same bank account as their Child Disability Payment, Disability Living Allowance for children, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment.

Confirming the automatic payments from this month, the Scottish Government said: “Families of over 48,000 disabled children and young people are estimated to be supported with Child Winter Heating Payment in 2026/27. “It is paid automatically to the families of children and young people under 19 who receive the highest levels of disability support. The payment for winter 2026/27 is £265.50.” Elsewhere in the UK, the Department for Energy Security and next Zero (DESNZ) has confirmed around six million households across Britain will receive a Warm Home Discount this winter.

From Thursday, October 22, eligible households are being urged to check their doormats and letterboxes for confirmation they will get £150 off their energy bills, with the discount to be automatically applied to electricity bills by March 31, 2027. This comes in addition to a VAT cut on electricity bills in October, which the UK government says will save households an average of £45 per year, and removing £150 of costs off bills earlier this year.

State pensioners sent letters for automatic £150 from Thursday State pensioners handed £300 by calling DWP from Monday, October 19 Minister for Energy Consumers Polly Billington said: “I know that many families will be struggling with their energy bills this winter. “That is why I urge those who think they qualify for the Warm Home Discount to keep an eye out for a letter confirming their eligibility. “Energy is an absolute essential, which is exactly why in October we cut VAT on all electricity bills and earlier this year we removed £150 of costs off bills, giving families breathing space this winter.”

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Read the original article on express.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
What we found (3)

The Express headline and opening tell readers that any UK household on four benefits will get £265.50, when the body says the payment is only for families of disabled children in Scotland. The article also gives a recipient figure ten times larger than the Scottish Government figure it quotes, so readers are told the payment reaches far more families than its own source says.

  1. Makes a false claim

    Serious

    “One-off payments of £265.50 will automatically be issued to UK households on four benefits from October”

    Why this matters
    The opening line repeats the headline's claim in the outlet's own voice, saying the payments go to "UK households on four benefits".
    The impression it gives
    Readers across the UK who get Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance can expect this money.
    The context
    The article's later sentences say the payment is limited to children and young people in Scotland under 19. Readers outside Scotland cannot qualify for it.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“if you’re based outside of Scotland you cannot qualify for it”
    • Elsewhere in the article“Children and young people in Scotland will be eligible for the payment if they're under 19”

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    Families in Scotland with a disabled child or young person under 19 on one of four disability benefits will automatically receive a one-off £265.50 heating payment from October.

  2. Uses figures that mislead

    Serious

    “more than 480,000 families in Scotland are expected to receive it this year”

    Why this matters
    The Express states in its own voice that more than 480,000 Scottish families will get the payment.
    The impression it gives
    Nearly half a million families in Scotland will receive the payment.
    The context
    The Scottish Government statement the article quotes gives a figure of just over 48,000, one tenth of the number the Express prints.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“Families of over 48,000 disabled children and young people are estimated to be supported”

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    The Scottish Government estimates that families of over 48,000 disabled children and young people will receive the payment in 2026/27.

  3. Uses figures that mislead

    Minor

    “the third full week of September, from September 21 to 29”

    Why this matters
    The article calls a nine-day span, September 21 to 29, "the third full week of September".
    The impression it gives
    The qualifying window is clear and runs for those dates.
    The context
    A week cannot run from the 21st to the 29th. The article's own wording does not agree with itself, so readers cannot tell which dates decide eligibility.

    Show it in the article

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