FOI/202600523708 · FOI · unclear
Number of applicants applying for Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme: FOI release
Information requested
How many applicants have applied for heating oil support?
How many applicants have been successful in grant application
How many discretionary payments have been awarded to vulnerable people not claiming any benefits
Was there consideration for applicants with life threatening illness such as OAPs who do not or cannot claim benefits?
Response
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.
This is because the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme is operated by Advice Direct Scotland ("ADS"), through their homeheatingadvice.scot website. As such, ADS hold the data that would be required to provide answers to the majority of your queries. Please note that as ADS are a charity, they are exempt from FOI requests.
ADS, however, do provide the Scottish Government with regular updates and we do hold some information and have provided this below.
Please note that this is information is from a live administrative system and the figures could be subject to future revision. We are also unable to verify these figures as the data is held by ADS.
These figures are also from 6 July 2026 as this is the latest date the Scottish Government holds figures for.
1) How many applicants have applied for heating oil support?
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 9,161 applications had been received.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
2) How many applicants have been successful in grant application?
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 3,270 applications had met the eligibility requirements and an award made.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
3) How many discretionary payments have been awarded to vulnerable people not claiming any benefits?
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is due to the Scottish Government not holding records for the date this FOI was processed.
However, we do hold records provided by ADS that suggest, as of 6 July 2026, 720 applications had met the eligibility requirements for a discretionary payment and an award made.
Please note that this figure includes both applications for heating oil and liquid petroleum gas.
4) Was there consideration for applicants with life threatening illness such as OAPs who do not or cannot claim benefits?
The Scheme allows for eligibility through automatic and discretionary criteria and these are noted below. Details of the eligibility criteria for both criteria have also been made available on the ADS website, since the Scheme opened, and can be found here: https://homeheatingadvice.scot/faqs/.
Automatic qualification is for those in receipt of a number of means tested low-income social security benefit.
Discretionary qualification is available to those who meet the following criteria:
They are in financial hardship, They are at risk of self-rationing, and They have a priority need for heat or additional energy consumption and meet one, or more, of the following criteria:
Long-term illness or medical condition Disability Recent hospital discharge End-of-life care Mental health issues A child under 5 or an adult over 75 in the home Debt Waiting for a benefit claim or appeal decision Living in a very rural or remote area A recent major life event (such as a bereavement)
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.
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