15 November 2023 , 09:18
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Thousands of young people claiming disability benefits will be receiving a new payment this winter worth £235.70.
The £235 will be paid out by the Scottish equivalent to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - Social Security Scotland - as part of the new Child Winter Heating Payment. This payment used to be called the Child Winter Heating Assistance, however, the Scottish department changed the name this year.
Social Security Scotland said the name change “reflects user testing carried out to support the launch of Winter Heating Payment with people who have lived experience of the benefits system”.
The Child Winter Heating Payment was introduced in 2020 and only those living in Scotland are able to get it. The £235.70 is given to families of children and young people up to the age of 19 who already get qualifying disability benefits - these include:
- The highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
- The highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
- The enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- The enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
The money is paid once a year and this year's payments started to be paid out this month. To be eligible for the money, you must have been claiming the qualifying benefits at least one day between September 18 to 24 - this includes if a qualifying benefit is backdated to this period.
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If there is more than one person in the household who qualifies then each one will get the payment. This means if you have two children who qualify, then both will receive a payment of £235.
Eligible children and young people living in Scotland do not need to apply as they’ll get their payment automatically. Social Security Scotland will write to you before you are paid and the money will go into the account where the qualifying benefit is paid.
Some children may still be eligible for the money even if they do not live in Scotland. According to the Scottish Government's website, a child or young person who gets a qualifying benefit but does not live in Scotland between September 18 and September 24, 2023, may still qualify if they either:
- Live in certain European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland
- Can show they have a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland
According to recent data, around £13.4million in Child Winter Heating Payments have been issued since it was introduced in November 2020. The latest statistics also reveal that more than 26,000 payments worth £214.10 were made to eligible young people last year.