General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 15 January 2026.
Claire Baker
Labour
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Mid Scotland and Fife who are eligible for the pension-age winter heating payment have not yet received their payment for winter 2025-26. (S6O-05372)
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
Pension-age winter heating payment will support at least 880,000 pensioners with heating Bills this winter. The United Kingdom Government’s 2024 decision to cut winter heating payment was a betrayal of millions of pensioners. Although the belated U-turn was welcome, costs are rising, and many people will struggle with household bills this winter. That is why the Scottish Government is taking action and will deliver the strongest package of winter support compared with anywhere else in the UK. By 14 December 2025, £124.9 million was paid through more than 837,000 winter heating payments, with updated figures due on 4 February.
Claire Baker
Labour
That means that around 300,000 people have not yet received their payments. The First Minister promised that they would receive them by St Andrew’s day. Now, more than six weeks after St Andrew’s day, and well into the winter weather, there are still people wondering where those payments are.
Will the Cabinet secretary advise why it has taken so long for a payment to be made and when those who are still waiting for payments will receive them? Will the Scottish Government apologise to all those pensioners who were promised payment in November but did not receive it?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
Just as the Scottish Government laid out, the payments began in November and will continue through the winter. We have also ensured that the winter heating payment, which goes to pensioners on low incomes, is being paid throughout the winter; that payment is not guaranteed anywhere else in the UK but in Scotland. We have also paid the child winter heating payment to children on the highest rates of disability payments.
The package that we have in Scotland is stronger and more robust than anywhere else in the UK. Payment began in November, and it is moving through the winter months according to the timetable that was set out previously. We are on track to deliver it this winter.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
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