Highlands & Islands MSP Emma Roddick has praised Social Security Scotland’s latest addition to its series of benefits, pointing out that it more than doubles the support previously provided by the DWP.
The Winter Heating Payment, which is being rolled out this week, replaces the DWP’s Cold Weather Payment and is projected to support around 400,000 households across Scotland.
She said:
“It is fantastic to see folk across the Highlands and Islands and the rest of Scotland start to receive their Winter Heating Payments this week.
“Unlike the Cold Weather Payment down south, this new benefit for Scotland does not rely upon weather station readings, which very often do not reflect the reality of the conditions folk live in, and instead is paid automatically to anyone eligible.
“This is very welcome news for households across my region in areas like Orkney, Shetland, and Wick, where no Cold Weather Payments were triggered last year despite the often very harsh weather conditions.
“This new system is reliable and means that more than double the amount of folk will be supported than were previously, which is a testament to the Scottish Government’s and Social Security Scotland’s fair and compassionate approach to delivering benefits for the people of Scotland.”
