Little-known winter cost of living payment coming for thousands of families – are you eligible?
THOUSANDS of families can get a little-known cost of living payment worth £230 this winter.
The Child Winter Heating Payment is issued to households to cover the cost of higher energy bills over the colder months.
But the benefit, first introduced in 2020, is only available to families in Scotland.
The payment will come in useful to eligible households struggling with the cost of living.
July inflation stood at 6.8%, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
It means the price of everyday essentials such as food is rising, squeezing households’ budgets.
Mortgage rates have been rising in recent months following successive Bank of England (BoE) base rate rises too.
Roughly 26,000 of the payments, worth £5.7 million, were made to households in 2022/23.
Who is eligible and how to apply
The Child Winter Heating Payment is currently worth £235.70 and paid once a year.
But you are only eligible if you’re 18 or younger and get one of the following qualifying benefits:
- 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
- the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
You need to have been claiming one of the four above on at least one day in the third full week of September.
In 2023 this period is September 18 to September 24.
If you started claiming one of the above benefits and it was backdated to the qualifying week, you will be eligible for a Child Winter Heating Payment.
If you are a household with more than one child, both will receive the payment.
You may still qualify if you were not living in Scotland during the qualifying week and:
- lived in certain European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland
- can show you have a “genuine and sufficient” link to Scotland
Once you have made a claim, payment is made to you automatically, into the same bank account as you receive one of the four benefits:
- Child Disability Payment
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment
You should receive a letter from Social Security Scotland beforehand if you are eligible for a payment.
If you live outside of Scotland and are eligible for one of the payments, you have to apply and won’t receive it automatically.
You can apply by filling in a paper form found on the Scottish Government’s website.
You then have to send your form to:
- Child Winter Heating Payment
- PO Box 10317
- Dundee
- United Kingdom
- DD1 9GR
You can also apply by phone by calling +44 (0)1382 931000.
Child Winter Heating Payments for 2022/23 started landing in eligible households’ bank accounts last October, so will likely be made from a similar month in 2023/24.
What help can I get if I don’t live in Scotland?
Don’t worry if you don’t live in Scotland as there’s a host of other help you can get to cover the cost of supporting a child.
The Government is in the process of handing out cost of living payments to millions, including a £900 payment.
It has been split into three instalments worth £301, £300 and £299.
The first instalment should have already been paid while the £300 and £299 are due to be paid in autumn this year and spring 2024, respectively.
You will be eligible for the payments if you receive any one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Pension Credit
You might also be able to get help via the Household Support Fund, which is worth £842million.
The fund has been shared between councils in England who are distributing their share to residents in need.
Each council has its own eligibility criteria, but usually help is offered if you are on benefits or a low income.
Some councils are paying cash direct into bank accounts while others are issuing supermarket or energy bill vouchers.
Either way, the money could go a long way if you’ve got children to support.
You can apply for the Household Support Fund through your local council. You can find yours by using the Government’s locator tool.
You might be entitled to free childcare too, depending on your circumstances.
You can find more information on the Government’s website.
As as a last port of call, it’s always worth checking if you’re eligible for benefits on an ongoing basis.
A number of charities have calculators which you can use to work out whether you are entitled, including Policy in Practice and Turn2Us.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.