People who claim six DWP benefits set to wake up to £58 payment next month

A £58 heating payment is due next month to help people with winter energy bills. As we head towards Christmas, thousands of people in Scotland will be due a one-off payment of £58.75 from mid-December, called the Winter Heating Payment.

Benefits to support people with heating costs over the winter are paid automatically to those who are eligible during what is called a qualifying week. If people are getting certain qualifying benefits during that week, the majority will get a payment automatically without the need to apply.

You'll automatically get the single payment between December and February. This does not depend on how cold it is. You'll get a letter or an email from Social Security Scotland telling you it's coming. It appears as 'WHP' on your bank statement, WHP stands for Winter Heating Payment.

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If your data does not automatically result in a payment, a Social Security Scotland will look at your data again, consider whether you are eligible or not, pay you if you are eligible or write to you to explain their decision.

The payment will be made automatically to people on income related benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Related Employment Support Allowance or Support for Mortgage Interest.

Regulations laid in the Scottish Parliament will ensure pensioners receive help with their fuel bills this winter. The DWP will make Pension Age Winter Heating Payments, which are equivalent to Winter Fuel Payments, on behalf of the Scottish Government to eligible older people getting qualifying benefits, including Pension Credit, in Scotland this year.

Pensioners are being urged to check their eligibility for Pension Credit in order to secure their payment this winter. Older people can still apply for Pension Credit and ask for it to be backdated by up to three months. If they apply by 21 December and have met the eligibility criteria for Pension Credit during the qualifying week, they will still qualify.