Over one million individuals above the state pension age living in Scotland will be eligible to claim two new devolved benefits before the end of this year.
The new payments will be delivered by Social Security Scotland rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP), worth up to £300 per person, is set to replace the annual Winter Fuel Payment currently administered by the DWP.
Under the PAWHP scheme, all those in Scotland currently eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment will continue to receive the same level of support, but payments will be made by Social Security Scotland. The Scottish Government has confirmed that this payment will remain non-means tested and tax-free.
The exact guidelines for the payment are yet to be confirmed, but a recent consultation suggested that the amount received will depend on household circumstances and age. Proposed payment rates are £100, £150, £200 or £300 for individuals, meaning a typical household of two people would generally receive £200 or £300 in total. This new payment will be launched in the winter of this year.
The Pension Age Disability Payment will replace Attendance Allowance as part of a phased pilot launch in Autumn 2024 for new claimants, before being rolled out nationwide in Spring 2025. The eligibility and payment rates for the Pension Age Disability Payment will mirror those from the DWP. The weekly payment will be either £72.65 or £108.55 - equating to £290.60 or £434.20 every four-week pay period.
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This benefit is designed to assist older individuals with additional daily living expenses, enabling them to stay in their own homes for longer. Currently, 140,716 Scots receiving Attendance Allowance from the DWP won't need to apply for the new benefit. They'll be automatically transferred in stages to the Social Security Scotland IT system.
Social Security Scotland has stated that decisions regarding entitlement for the Pension Age Disability Payment will be made using the applicant's account of their circumstances and any existing supporting information. There will be no face-to-face assessments, and examples of supporting information include:
- an occupational therapy assessment
- a report from a district nurse
- information from a partner
Social Security Scotland will also "assume responsibility, where necessary, for gathering information from various sources suggested by the individual."
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