Day: April 30, 2025

£37.3 million winter heating help paid to people in Scotland

Over half a million people get payments for winter 2024/2025

Last winter over half a million children and families across Scotland enjoyed warmer homes after receiving a total of £37.3million towards their heating bills from Social Security Scotland.

Winter Heating Payment is paid automatically to people who get certain low-income benefits, including households with young children, disabled people or older people. It has replaced the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Cold Weather Payment in Scotland.

It is a guaranteed payment that everyone who is eligible receives, no matter what the weather. Cold Weather Payment is only paid if the average temperature falls – or is forecast to fall – to freezing or below for a full week. 

Child Winter Heating Payment was introduced by the Scottish Government in November 2020 and is only available in Scotland.

It is paid once a year to children and young people if they are under 19 years old and get certain benefits.

The figures, taken from statistics released today (Tuesday 29 April), also show that 95% of Winter Heating Payments were made by December 2024 and 93% of Child Winter Heating Payments were made by October 2024.

A total of 465,510 Winter Heating Payments, worth £27.3 million, were made for 2024/2025, along with 39,590 Child Winter Heating Payments, worth £10 million.

 Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We have issued over 505,100 payments to families on low incomes, and those supporting children or young people with a disability, to help with the cost of heating their homes.

“Many people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and higher energy bills. The importance of these payments was brought home to everyone this month with the Energy Price Cap rising by 6.4%. Ofgem estimates that this will add £9.25 a month to the typical household’s energy bill.  

“This year we will also be providing extra support to pensioners. While the DWP’s Winter Fuel Payment will only be available to some pensioners, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will provide money to every pensioner household in the country. The Scottish Government will continue to protect pensioners and people on low incomes in Scotland.”

ALBA: Grangemouth Closure a “Dark Day for Scotland”

GRANGEMOUTH NO MORE

Petroineos, the company which runs the refinery, has informed staff that all oil refining work at Grangemouth had ended.

Workers were told by email yesterday: ‘With the shutdown of CDU2 today, Grangemouth Refinery will cease processing crude oil and the era of refining at Grangemouth comes to an end.’

The news of the final confirmation of the site has come as a hammer blow to staff and is the latest nail in the coffin of Scottish industry.

Reacting to the news that oil refining at Grangemouth has ended Alba Party Leader Kenny MacAskill said: “This is a dark day for Scotland and a betrayal of the workforce by Labour. At the election, they promised to save the refinery but have gone back on that pledge whilst at the same saving British Steel in Scunthorpe.

“Labour have cynically pocketed the votes of the workers and then abandoned them once elected. This is a betrayal for which Labour will never be forgiven.

“Scotland is now the only major oil producing nation in the world not to have its own refining capacity. 

“The skills of the workforce have been sacrificed and Grangemouth reduced to an import export terminal. 

“This is the cost of the Union and demonstrates how Scotland is powerless without Independence.

“Independence is required so we can protect what is left of Scottish industry and put Scottish workers first.”

The UK Labour Westminster government and the SNP Holyrood government have yet to make an official statement on the end of oil refining at Grangemouth.