An Advantage Of A Big Common Good Fund - Inverness Winter Payments Already Awarded To Over 1,000 Households

30th December 2024

Applications to the Inverness Winter Payments Scheme, which is fully funded by the Inverness Common Fund, have already been awarded to 1,035 eligible households within the 7 specified Inverness Wards.

Leader of Inverness Area, Councillor Ian Brown said: "Since the Scheme was opened to applications for this winter, already £114,885 has been awarded to people who live in the eligible Wards of Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness-side, Inverness Millburn, Culloden and Ardersier and Inverness South Wards. Each household has been awarded £111 financial support during winter when extra fuel is needed to keep homes warm."

He added: “The Inverness Winter Payments Scheme is designed to help people who are most in need. I encourage anyone who meets the eligibility criteria to apply before the deadline of 28 February 2025 and claim the one-off winter payment that they are entitled to. The scheme is aimed at anyone on low income of all ages and not just pensioners.”

Apply online here  www.highland.gov.uk/invernesswinterfuel

Residents of the 7 Inverness Wards are encouraged to apply for the one-off £111 winter payment, if any of the following applies to them: 

aged 90 or older on or before 28 February 2025 irrespective of savings; or
receive a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment between 1 December 2024 and 28 February 2025;
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 OR Pension Age Disability Payment;
Middle or high rate Disability Living Allowance/Child Disability Payment (care component);
War Widow's or War Widower’s pension;
Personal Independence payment (daily-living component);
Adult Disability 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 28 February 2025 or if they received a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant Payment between 1 December 2024 to 28 February 2025.  Only one application per household will be accepted.

Application forms for the Inverness Winter Payments Scheme 2024/25 are available:

from Inverness, Town House, Service Point;
by phoning the Council’s Welfare Support Team on 0800 090 1004;
by contacting local Citizens Advice Bureau; or
apply online here www.highland.gov.uk/invernesswinterfuel .

The deadline for return of application forms is 28 February 2025.

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 7 specified Inverness Wards.