Welfare

West Dunbartonshire Council’s Working4U Money team has helped almost 4,000 local residents gain £8.2 million through benefit claims and debt write-offs as a result of its support services.

The Scottish Government has come out in defence of the Scottish Child Payment following criticism of the benefit in a Reform Scotland report. In a paper published by the think-tank earlier this week, former social justice minister Des McNulty said the payment needs to b

Two benefits that provide extra money to families with the cost of healthy food and starting school, are turning five years old. Best Start Grant School Age Payment supports families with a one-off payment of £314.45 to help cover the cost of starting primary school, and has provided £33

Scottish benefits claimants are being reminded to take action as a key date approaches for the switch to Universal Credit. Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the national advice service advice.scot, said that households should prepare for changes as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) continu

The Scottish Child Payment needs to be rethought with higher priority given to prevention, place-focused interventions and addressing the circumstances and needs of the most vulnerable and poorest families, according to Scotland's former social justice minister.

Thousands more unpaid carers in Scotland can now apply for a new benefit. Carer Support Payment, the replacement for Carer's Allowance, is now available in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Fife, Moray and North, East and South Ayrshire.

East Renfrewshire Council's Money Advice and Rights team has helped more than 5,000 local residents gain £8 million through its support services. The Money Advice and Rights (MART) offer free, expert and confidential money advice to East Renfrewshire residents and throughout 2023/24 helped the

Age Scotland is continuing to urge the UK government to reconsider plans to scrap the winter fuel payment for pensioners who do not receive pension credit.

Parents and carers are being encouraged to check their eligibility for financial support as the summer holidays end and they prepare for their children going back to school. Extra costs, including new shoes, stationery and lunch boxes, can soon add up.

Age Scotland is urging the UK government to reconsider plans to scrap the winter fuel payment for pensioners who do not receive pension credit. Scotland’s charity for older people has said the move will push tens of thousands of low income pensioners in Scotland further into poverty, and puts

North Ayrshire Council is working with staff in secondary schools to ensure parents are accessing welfare benefits they are entitled to. Over the past two years, Welfare Rights Officer Audrey Ritchie has been offering parents and carers free, impartial, and confidential benefits advice and she has h

Families on low incomes in Midlothian can now apply for free school meals and clothing grants for the upcoming school year 2024/25. All children in primary 1 to 5 are eligible for free school meals, however their families must apply for clothing grants. All children in early learning and childcare c

A fund to trial new ways of combating child poverty has opened for a second round of applications. The Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund (CPAF) will provide up to £80,000 per grant towards local projects that test and evaluate new approaches which target at least one of the three drivers

The families of more than 329,000 children under 16 are benefitting from Scottish Child Payment, the latest statistics show. The weekly payment of £26.70, which is unique to Scotland, is helping families with the cost of living crisis, with over £677 million paid since the payment launch

The Scottish ministers have appointed 128 members to the Social Security Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Ministers made their recommendations for appointment on the basis of a report by the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland.