Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Edinburgh South West constituency claimed the Winter Fuel Payment in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how many of those were new claimants in each of those years.

The vast majority of Winter Fuel Payments are made automatically without the need to claim. Linking Winter Fuel eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits for pensioners ensures the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need.

In winter 2023-24, there were around 11,500 pensioner households in the Edinburgh South West constituency receiving the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024.

We do not yet hold data on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients through winter 2024-25. These figures will be released as part of the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for Winter 2024 to 2025.

Powers to pay winter heating assistance in Scotland have been devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government have replaced Winter Fuel Payment with Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from 2024/25. It is up to the Scottish Government how it operates these payments.

Information on new recipients of Winter Fuel Payments in 2023-24 is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.