A key benefit is facing a delay after Social Security Scotland admitted it might not be paid until next month.
A spokesperson for the devolved benefits agency said the £50 Winter Heating Payment (WHP) would be paid "this month or next", rather than February definitively.
It is understood the payments will start in February, with some spilling over into March.
There were fears the scheme could be delayed as it was reliant on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data.
Social Security minister Ben Macpherson said in January the DWP had to meet a 31 January deadline before payments to 400,000 people could be made this month.
Social Security Scotland confirmed they received the data by the deadline, but also said that the payment could be delayed until next month as the agency is "currently undertaking the quality assurance processes necessary to ensure we make all payments safely and securely".
The WHP, targeted at those on low income benefits with extra heating needs during the winter, could reach nearly half a million people.
The £50 is an automatic yearly sum and replaces the DWP’s Cold Weather Payment, which was dependent on cold temperatures.
Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said the delay was "unacceptable", adding: "The benefit it replaces was paid within 14 days of a cold spell. It’s bad enough people had to wait till January. Now they might have to wait longer."
A Social Security Scotland spokesperson said:
“On the 31 January, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provided us with the data needed to identify the people in Scotland entitled to Winter Heating Payment. We are currently undertaking the quality assurance processes necessary to ensure we make all payments safely and securely. We intend for people to receive their £50 payment during this month or next.
“This is the first year of Winter Heating Payment. It replaces Cold Weather Payment in Scotland and, unlike this DWP benefit, is not triggered by sustained cold weather. Winter Heating Payment is an annual, reliable payment people can depend on. It is anticipated to be paid to significantly more people than the benefit it replaces. Eligible people will receive a letter as their payment is processed to let them know to expect it.”
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