Announcement: Scottish pension age winter heating payment opt out deadline
If you live in Scotland and you expect your income in the 2025/26 tax year to be more than £35,000, you have until 10 October 2025 to opt out of receiving this year’s pension age winter heating payment.
2025/26 pension age winter heating payments
Social Security Scotland will make payments of the 2025/26 pension age winter heating payment throughout the winter, starting in November 2025. Pension age winter heating payment has replaced winter fuel payment for people in Scotland.
Certain people born before 22 September 1959, who are living in Scotland on at least the last day of the qualifying week, are eligible for the payment. The qualifying week runs from Monday 15 September to 21 September 2025.
The amount of the payment depends on your circumstances but is generally between £101.70 and £305.10. It is usually paid automatically but some people may need to make a claim. Social Security Scotland will send you a letter in November 2025 to confirm your payment.
Beware of pension age winter heating payment and winter fuel payment scams! Social Security Scotland will not contact you by text message or email about claiming pension age winter heating payment or winter fuel payment. See the mygov.scot website for information about who might need to make a claim, and how you can do so. If you are unsure if a communication is genuine, call Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.
Pension age winter heating payments are non-taxable. However, if your income is over £35,000 for the tax year, HMRC will take your pension age winter heating payment back, via the tax system. In most cases, this will either be through the PAYE system or under self assessment, if you complete an annual tax return.
Alternatively, you can choose to opt out of receiving the pension age winter heating payment.
Opting out of the pension age winter heating payment
If you know your income for the 2025/26 tax year will be more than £35,000, and you would prefer not to receive the pension age winter heating payment, there is an opt-out service. For this winter’s payment, you will need to have opted out by completing the online opt-out form, available on the mygov.scot website, by 10 October 2025.
You are able to opt back in if your circumstances change and it turns out your income for the year will be £35,000 or less. You can opt in again by contacting Social Security Scotland by phone. The deadline to opt back in for the 2025/26 winter fuel payment will be 31 March 2026.
Useful links
HMRC have produced an online tool (on GOV.UK) that can help you to check if your income might exceed the £35,000 income threshold.
There is further information about the pension age winter heating payment on the mygov.scot website, including how to check:
- If you are eligible,
- if you need to claim the payment,
- how you can opt out of receiving the payment
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland there is a separate scheme, called the ‘winter fuel payment’. This is very similar – though not identical – to the pension age winter heating payment scheme in Scotland. This scheme in the rest of the UK also allows for a payment clawback where a person’s income exceeds £35,000. You can read about this separate scheme and the opt-out process on the GOV.UK website. However, please note that the deadline for opting out of the winter fuel payment for 2025/26 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has passed.
