Councillor Helen Carmichael, provost and leader of Inverness area, said: “If you live in the Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness-side, Inverness Millburn, Culloden and Ardersier and Inverness South Wards you may be entitled to financial support during winter when extra fuel is needed to keep homes warm.

“The City of Inverness Area Committee winter payments scheme is designed to help people who are most in need and I urge anyone who meets the eligibility criteria to apply for and claim the one-off winter payment of £86 that they are entitled to. The scheme is aimed at anyone on low income of all ages and not just pensioners.”

Residents of the seven Inverness Wards are encouraged to apply for the one-off £86 winter payment, if any of the following applies to them:

• Aged 90 or older on or before 28 February 2021 irrespective of savings
• Receive a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment between 1 December 2020 and 28 February 2021
• Receive Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
• Have a child/children under the age of five and you must be in receipt of Income Support; Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Universal Credit or Income Based Employment and Support Allowance

In receipt of:

• Pension Credit (Savings Credit)
• Income Support
• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit.
• The applicant must also have someone who lives in their household who is receiving:

Attendance Allowance;

• Middle or high rate Disability Living Allowance (care component)
• War Widow’s or War Widower’s pension
• Personal Independence payment (daily-living component)
• Armed Forces Independence payment.

In addition, applicants must be able to confirm that there are no residents in the household in receipt of a wage either now or in the previous calendar month or with capital in excess of £6,000.

This does not apply if they will be aged 90 or over on or before 28 February 2021 or if they received a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment between 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021.

Only one application per household will be accepted.