Leader of Inverness City and Area, Councillor Ian Brown, 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 encourage anyone who meets the eligibility criteria to apply for and claim the one-off winter payment of £106 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 £106 winter payment, if any of the following applies to them:

• Aged 90 or older on or before 29 February 2024 irrespective of savings
• Receive a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024
• 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
• Adult Disability Payment (support component)
• 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 29 February 2024 or if they received a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment between 1 December 2023 to 29 February 2024. Only one application per household will be accepted.

Application forms for the Inverness Winter Payments Scheme 2023/24 are available in the following ways:

• At the Inverness Service Point (Town House)
• Call the Council’s Welfare Support Team on 0800 090 1004
• Contact local Citizens Advice Bureau
• Download the application form here

The deadline for return of application forms is 29 February 2024

Application Forms should be returned by post to: The Highland Council, FREEPOST RRXJ-GGJX-CRYR, PO Box 5650, Inverness, IV3 5NX.

The Inverness Winter Payments Scheme is fully funded by the Inverness Common Fund and is therefore only available to eligible people within the seven specified Inverness Wards.

Inverness Common Good Funding can only be used to principally benefit people living within the geographic area of the former Burgh of Inverness.

The Worrying About Money? guide covers information for people waiting for claims to be assessed as well as those already receiving benefits. Topics including advice on what to do if anyone finds themselves having a sudden loss of income or if their statutory sick pay does not cover their living expenses. There is also information on how to apply to the Scottish Welfare Fund, maximising income and benefit advice, debt advice and how to challenge a decision.