Richard Leonard has said there is “no moral case” for his party’s cut to the winter fuel payment.
The former party leader was one of two Labour MSPs to rebel on Tuesday night when Holyrood voted on the Chancellor’s decision to means test the annual payout.
He described the change as “socially unjust” and called for it to be reversed.
Anas Sarwar has yet to say if the party will take any action against Mr Leonard or Alex Rowley.
In Westminster, Labour MPs who have broken have been suspended by party bosses.
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On Tuesday, the Scottish Parliament voted by 99 to 14 in favour of a motion from the First Minister, demanding the Labour Government at Westminster changes course.
As well as Mr Leonard and Mr Rowley, another five MSPs were permitted to miss the vote.
The Chancellor announced back in July that she would restrict the annual payout in England and Wales to those on pension credit or certain other benefits as part of her plan to tackle a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.
According to ministers in Edinburgh, the decision to block the annual winter fuel payment of either £200 or £300, depending on age, left them with a £160 million funding shortfall for their own equivalent devolved benefit, forcing them to follow suit.
The Scottish Government’s analysis says that means around 900,000 Scottish pensioners will lose out, with just 130,000 receiving the payment.
Across the UK, some 10 million pensioners will be affected.
In a statement, Mr Leonard said: “I voted to keep the winter fuel allowance because for me the principle of providing universal support to our pensioners is unyielding. This was the first time I had ever voted with the government against the Labour whip. I did not do it lightly and I do not support the SNP’s position on means testing.
“Giving the winter fuel payment to everyone is the only way to guarantee that everyone who needs it will get it. We know that the oldest pensioners are the poorest pensioners, many of them women denied access to occupational pensions and on low basic state pensions.
“There is no moral case for ending this payment, it is socially unjust, and the economic case does not stack up. The policy is wrong and should be reversed.”
During the debate, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told MSPs that the UK Government does not want to cut the winter fuel payment.
He added: “(The UK Government) are not responsible for the chaos and damage inherited from the Tories.
“Why the SNP of all people want to minimise the damage the Tories have done is for them to explain.
“So I repeat, the decision of the winter fuel payment is not a decision that the Chancellor wanted to make.”
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A vote in the Commons on the payment cut in September saw 52 Labour MPs abstain.
All but 12 had been given permission to miss the vote. Those that did not were told by whips they would be denied privileges.
Earlier this year, the party removed the whip from seven MPs who voted in favour of an amendment to scrap the two-child benefit limit.
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