More than 13,000 families of a disabled child, on the highest rate care component of Disability Living Allowance for Children, have had a Child Winter Heating Assistance payment. These payments were made automatically using information provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

As of Friday 11 December, a total of £2.5 million has been invested in Child Winter Heating Assistance payment.

Where a child has someone managing their benefits, Social Security Scotland has written to them to enable them to process this payment.

Cabinet secretary for social security and older people Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “I am delighted that we have successfully delivered our first disability benefit, the new Child Winter Heating Assistance.

“Getting this money to families as early as possible in the winter months will help them budget and balance the many financial pressures that they face at this time of year. For families of the most seriously disabled children and young people, who may need to heat their homes for longer periods, this can bring even more pressure in what is already a challenging circumstance.

“We are committed to making sure that people get everything they are entitled to. I would encourage families who think that they should have received this support and who haven’t had a letter yet to get in touch.”

Samantha Jones, from Helensburgh, who received the Child Winter Heating Assistance for her two children, Darren and Jacob, said: “I was very happy to see that Social Security Scotland were issuing these payments for children across Scotland.

“This will be a very helpful payment especially at this time of year for families like ours, this will really help and benefit our family and it’s very much appreciated.

“Having the extra money to help with heating costs is one less financial pressure that we have to think about on top of the cost of Christmas.”