Every Scottish pensioner will receive a winter fuel payment next year, the government has announced.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told the Scottish Parliament those in receipt of qualifying benefits like Pension Credit would get £200 or £300 depending on their age, while all other pensioners would get £100.
The funds will be paid through a new Holyrood benefit, which will not be ready until late 2025.
The UK government scrapped universal entitlement to winter fuel payments – which are set at either £200 or £300 – earlier this year, with only those on Pension Credit or other benefits eligible.
The Scottish government was due to take over responsibility for winter fuel payments in September – but the introduction of a new universal benefit north of the border was delayed after the UK government decision.
Somerville said the change to UK eligibility rules left it with a £150m shortfall, and it had no choice but to push its plans back until late 2025.
The change means an estimated 900,000 pensioners in Scotland are losing out on a fuel payment this winter.
‘Harsh reality’
Somerville told MSPs those Scots would by next winter be entitled to the newly-devolved pension age winter heating payment (PAWHP).
She said: “This universal benefit – providing much needed support not available anywhere else in the UK – will deliver support for all pensioner households as we had always intended to do before the UK government decision to means-test winter fuel payments cut the funding available to support our new benefit in Scotland this winter by £147 million.
“We will not abandon older people this winter or any winter.
“We will do our best to make sure no-one has to make a decision between heating and eating, and we will continue to protect pensioners”.
The social justice secretary also announced an extra £20m in welfare funding for councils in this financial year, as well as an additional £20m for the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme.
There will be a further £1m for social landlords and the third sector for homelessness prevention work.
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