Welfare

Twelve Scottish Government benefits including Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grants will be increased by 10.1% on 1 April, backed by investment of around £430 million. The Scottish Child Payment was increased by 150% in 2022 to £25 per eligible child per week.

More than £3.2 million of funding has been made available to help support people in Dundee struggling with housing costs.

Support for community groups bringing people and communities together to tackle isolation has been launched.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has urged the UK Government to use next week’s Spring Budget to address the growing income shortfall faced by many households who rely on benefits after its upcoming UK Housing Review highlighted the impact of decisions over the pas

Midlothian’s share of the Scottish Welfare Fund has received a boost with the news that Midlothian Council is to top it up by £100,000 to help meet the growing demand resulting from the cost of living crisis. The extra money will come from protected funding the council has been awarded t

Help with heating costs is on its way to around 400,000 people on low incomes through a new Scottish Government benefit, with the first payments processed this week.

The Scottish Government is providing £8.6 million in direct support for people affected by the UK benefit cap as part of its work to tackle child poverty.

Community projects tackling poverty and disadvantage will receive £27 million funding over the next three years, the Scottish Government has announced. Food pantries which help lower food bills and cost of living advice services are among the 100 initiatives developed by local people set to re

More than £130 million has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children since the launch of a Scottish Government benefit. The latest official figures show the families of over 54,000 children and young people were receiving Child Disability Payment in December last year.

Plans for the introduction of further Scottish Government benefits have been published as part of an updated Social Security Programme Business Case. Carer Support Payment, which will replace the Carer’s Allowance for new applications, will be the next payment to be introduced, with Social Sec

A package of benefits that was due to be transferred to Holyrood in 2020 has been delayed again by the UK Government.

Parents and guardians who get qualifying benefits or tax credits and who have a child born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018 are being urged to check whether they should apply for Best Start Grant School Age Payment as this year’s deadline approaches. Applications for the one-off payme

People are being encouraged to share their views on how a Scottish Government disability benefit supports their mobility needs. Adult Disability Payment, delivered by Social Security Scotland, was launched in August 2022 to replace the UK Government’s Personal Independence Payment. It provides

A free independent advocacy service to support disabled people to access Scottish Government benefits has marked its first year in operation. The Scottish Government is investing more than £20 million to deliver this service over the course of four years. This independent service is available

People struggling to pay their council tax during the cost of living crisis are being encouraged to check if they are eligible for money off their bill.