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Child Winter Heating Assistance is a benefit from the Scottish Government.

It's a payment of £202 to help disabled children and young people and their families with increased heating costs over winter. Children and young people in Scotland can get the assistance if they're under 19 years old 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 rate of Personal Independence Payment

They must be getting this on at least one day in the third full week of September. In 2021 this was Monday 20 September to Sunday 26 September.

This includes if a qualifying benefit is backdated to this period. 

If there is more than one child or young person who qualifies in the household, they each get a payment.

You do not need to show receipts or proof of how you spend the money.

You do not need to apply for the payment if the child currently lives in Scotland. If the child or young person is eligible, you'll be paid automatically into the same account that their Disability Living Allowance for children, Child Disability Payment or Personal Independence Payment is paid into.  

You'll get a letter from Social Security Scotland before they make the payment. Payments are usually made from the end of November onwards.  

If you think you should get Child Winter Heating Assistance but you’ve not had a letter by 31 December 2021, contact Social Security Scotland.

If the child or young person usually gets one of the qualifying benefits but this was not being paid between 20 September and 26 September 2021, they might still be entitled to Child Winter Heating Assistance. It depends on why payments were not being made that week.

If this was because the child or young person was staying in residential care or was in hospital, they can still get Child Winter Heating Assistance. They’ll get an automatic payment. 

If the qualifying benefit was not paid for any other reason, you’ll get a letter telling you that the child or young person does not qualify for Child Winter Heating Assistance. The letter will include details of how to ask Social Security Scotland to look at their decision again. 

If you think you are eligible and you have not received a letter by 31 December 2021, you should contact Social Security Scotland

Tel: 0800 182 2222.  

Text Relay Service: 18001 +0300 244 4000 (for hard of hearing people)

British Sign Language users: contactscotland-bsl.org/device-direct/

Find out about other ways of contacting Social Security here.

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