Updating the Scottish Parliament on support with fuel costs for people on low incomes, Ms Somerville will confirm the Scottish Government is forecast to invest more than £65 million in our three Winter Heating Benefits this year, providing vital support to more than 630,000 people with their energy bills.

The Winter Heating Payment guarantees everyone eligible will receive a payment every year, rather than the UK Government approach of requiring a sustained period of cold weather, which previously resulted in no Cold Weather Payments being made to many low income households across Scotland. The Scottish Government benefit, which replaced the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment, provides a targeted, reliable and guaranteed annual payment of £58.75 to support people on low incomes with the cost of heating over the winter months. The UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment previously provided £25 per cold spell only when the average of the mean daily temperature recorded was equal to or below zero degrees for seven consecutive days.

The Child Winter Heating Payment provides help to disabled children and young people and their families who have higher energy needs due to a disability or a health condition. This benefit is not available elsewhere in the UK. So far 37,000 payments have issued totalling £9.3 million so far this year, to support more than 33,000 children, young people and their families.

Pension Age Winter Heating Payment helps people of pension age who receive certain benefits to pay their heating bills, and is providing payments of £200 or £300 to people in receipt of a qualifying benefit, depending on their age, this year. For next year, the Scottish Government will bring forward regulations to ensure every pensioner household receives at least £100 – support which is also not available anywhere else in the UK.

Ms Somerville said: “When we asked people they told us they overwhelmingly supported the removal of the ‘cold spell’ requirement for the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment.

“Our Winter Heating Payment breaks the link with arbitrarily defined weather dependency and provides financial support, no matter the weather. This means low-income households will automatically be paid and do not have the uncertainty of waiting for weather readings for seven consecutive days before receiving a payment.

“More than 453,000 people got Winter Heating Payments last winter from the Scottish Government thanks to an investment of £25 million. This winter we will invest even more - £26.8 million - for Winter Heating Payment.

“That more than triples the £8.5 million provided on average by the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last seven years prior to the introduction of our Payment.

“Our Winter Heating Payment is a very clear example of how this Scottish Government is doing more to support the people of Scotland throughout the long, cold winter months.”