Welfare

The families of 326,080 children under 16 years of age were receiving vital support from Scottish Child Payment as of 31 December 2024, according to new figures. More £1 billion has now been paid to parents and carers since the payment was introduced in February 2021.

A plan has been unveiled to tackle £70 million in unclaimed benefits in the Highland area.

Age Scotland has identified a record £2,116,447 of unclaimed benefits for older people who called the charity’s helpline in 2024 – an increase of 34% on the previous year. However, the Scottish charity for older people stressed that the amount could be the ‘tip of the iceberg

The Scottish Government is launching a consultation on its plans to end the two-child cap on benefits.

New analysis from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) finds that a combination of welfare reforms, rising numbers of children in the private rented sector and a lack of investment in building social housing has led, and will continue to lead, to increasing child poverty, unless the gover

Housing minister Paul McLennan has written to the UK Government calling on them to reverse the recent budget decision to keep rates at 2024-25 levels for the coming year. In his letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mr McLennan said the move will further widen the gap between Local

Funding for local authorities to test and improve how they deliver wrap-around support for parents and families will be doubled to more than £6 million by the 2025-26 budget, the Scottish Government has revealed. Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the government's Fairer Fut

More than 456,000 people are due to receive inter Heating Payments totalling £26.8 million this winter, social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville will tell MSPs today. Updating the Scottish Parliament on support with fuel costs for people on low incomes, Ms Somerville will confirm the S

West Lothian Council has approved plans to reduce the priority level for Scottish Welfare Fund grants, which will mean more local people will be eligible. The council administers both Crisis and Community Care grants from the Scottish Welfare Fund, to support vulnerable West Lothian families. Crisis

Thousands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds will benefit from free breakfasts, thanks to £3 million from the Scottish Government. Announced in the draft Budget for 2025-26, Bright Start Breakfasts will help more primary school children get a healthy start to the day. The initiative wi

Payments to people in receipt of benefits will be protected from inflation after the Scottish Parliament passed the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.

Charities have welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to reinstate an energy support payment for all pensioners, describing the move as a "huge relief" for older people. Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville confirmed yesterday that on the roll-out of the new benefit next winte

The Scottish Government’s five family payments have reached a landmark figure since their launch, paying over £1 billion to families across Scotland to help end child poverty, new figures have shown. The latest statistics released from Social Security Scotland reveal that between Februar

Eight million households across the UK are missing out on an estimated £23bn worth of benefits each year, such as Child Benefit, Universal Credit and Pension Credit. To financially empower its customers, Lloyds has launched ‘Benefit Calculator’, a new app feature that gives custome

Concerns about the fairness and consistency of grants awarded through the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) have been highlighted in a new report from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). The report highlights issues with the distribution of the Fund, which provides grants to those in crisis.