Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville confirmed yesterday that on the roll-out of the new benefit next winter, pensioners in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit will be receiving Pension Age Winter Heating Payments of £300 or £200, depending on their age. Meanwhile, all other pensioner households will receive £100 from next winter, providing them with support not available anywhere else in the UK.

Ms Somerville also announced a £41 million package of support for people struggling with energy costs this winter. These measures include an additional £20m which will be provided for the Scottish Welfare Fund, to enable councils to provide more vital support to people in crisis this winter.

An additional £20m will be invested into the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme, the national fuel poverty scheme which helps people install energy efficiency measures and more efficient heating systems, saving on average around £300 per year in household energy bills.

Ms Somerville said: “The measures I have announced today will go some way to allay the fears of pensioners in Scotland ahead of next winter, but the Scottish Government recognises that more must be done.

“Ahead of next winter, I will bring forward regulations to introduce universal Pension Age Winter Heating Payments in winter 2025-26 for Scottish pensioners.

“This universal benefit – providing much needed support not available anywhere else in the UK – will deliver support for all pensioner households as we had always intended to do before the UK Government’s decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments cut the funding available to support our new benefit in Scotland this winter by £147m.

“We will not abandon older people this winter or any winter. We will do our best to make sure no one has to make a decision between heating and eating, and we will continue to protect pensioners.”

Older people charity Age Scotland has been actively campaigning for the reinstatement of the universal Winter Fuel Payment since the UK Government announced it was to stop.

Katherine Crawford, Age Scotland’s chief executive, said: “Bringing back an energy support payment for all pensioners is very good news and will be a huge relief. It shows the power of this campaign and the relentless efforts from all quarters. The decision to remove the universal winter fuel payment by the UK Government, and its impact on pensioners this winter is nothing short of disastrous.

“Over the last few months, we have been urging the Scottish Government to bring this back and we are delighted that they have listened to the strong arguments and have taken action. It also demonstrates the power of devolution and what Scotland can do when we put our minds to it.

“Pensioners are the most affected by fuel poverty in Scotland and live in the coldest, hardest to heat homes. Hundreds of thousands who desperately need this support aren’t eligible for Pension Credit and would otherwise go without. This decision is logical and will be a significant help to older people.  

“We must not forget that four in 10 pensioners live in fuel poverty in Scotland and a quarter are in extreme fuel poverty. We’re concerned that £100 won’t be enough for those on low and modest incomes, particularly as there is nothing else for them this winter. We would urge the government to keep looking at what more they can do to bridge the gap.”

Advice Direct Scotland said the move was welcome, but pointed out that many people are still facing the “terrible reality” of being pushed further into fuel poverty this winter.

The national advice charity said a better long-term solution would be a UK-wide social energy tariff, which would automatically put the most vulnerable customers on the cheapest deals.

Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of Advice Direct Scotland, said: “It is welcome that ministers are taking action to help pensioners in Scotland pay their energy bills with this new benefit.

“However, it will not begin until next year, which means thousands of people are still facing the terrible reality of another winter where they must choose between putting the heating on and having a hot meal.

“The best long-term solution to this intolerable situation lies in a UK-wide social energy tariff, which would go some way to fixing the country’s energy market and lifting people out of fuel poverty.

“Our view is that the most vulnerable households should automatically be placed on the cheapest energy deal through an opt-out system, so they do not have to take any action to benefit.”

Debbie Horne, Scotland policy and public affairs manager at Independent Age, added: “The reintroduction of winter heating support for all pensioners in Scotland from next winter is welcome and will offer some comfort to the 900,000 pensioners who were set to completely lose the previous Winter Fuel Payment.

“Since the decision to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to only older people on Pension Credit, we’ve seen a surge in the number of older people getting in touch with Independent Age who are worried about heating their homes, and making ends meet, through the winter. Many have told us they are heating only one room, staying in bed all day with a blanket, and cutting back on food to avoid the energy costs associated with cooking.

“With energy prices set to rise again in January, and a staggering 330,000 older households living in fuel poverty in Scotland, it is clear that changing the eligibility of the payment in this way was the wrong decision. It is positive that this has been recognised in Scotland, with the Scottish Government making a payment available to all older people next year, and we hope the UK Government will also reconsider their decision.

“In a compassionate and socially just society, no one should face fuel poverty. We are pleased the Scottish Government has listened to older people, and taken this action today. However, we remain concerned about older people who face this winter without this much needed financial support. Going forward, the Scottish Government should continue to monitor the situation and be open to taking further action in future.”