Child winter heating assistance
Child winter heating assistance is an annual payment from Social Security Scotland (SSS) to families in Scotland with a severely disabled child. In winter 2023, it is £235.70.1Reg 10 WHACYP(S) Regs To qualify, your family must include a child aged under 19 who is entitled to a disability benefit (the highest rate of the care component of disability living allowance/child disability payment or the enhanced rate of the daily living component of personal independence payment/adult disability payment) on at least one day in the ‘qualifying week’.2Reg 4 WHACYP(S) Regs This is the week beginning on the third Monday in September. If your child is awarded a disability benefit later than this date but her/his award is later backdated to cover it, child winter heating assistance is payable.3Reg 8 WHACYP(S) Regs Your child must usually live in Scotland, but s/he may also be eligible if s/he lives in Switzerland or certain EEA countries.4Reg 4(1)(c) WHACYP(S) Regs Payments are made in November, usually into the same account into which the disability benefit is paid. Payment is not affected by any other income or savings the child or anyone else in the family has. You can get a payment for each severely disabled child in your family who meets the qualifying conditions. Normally, you do not have to apply: payment should be made automatically. If you think you are eligible but have not received a payment by mid-December, contact SSS. If you are not happy with a decision about child winter heating assistance, you can ask within 42 days for the decision to be looked at again. This is called a ‘redetermination’. You can make the request later than this, if you have a good reason. SSS should carry out a redetermination within 16 working days. Following redetermination, you have a right of appeal.