Improving the way the Scottish system of social security delivers for people in need of support is at the heart of new legislation. Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill will enhance the rights of Social Security Scotland clients by int
Welfare
Views are being sought on the introduction of the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, a new benefit to replace the UK Government’s Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland. The Scottish Government has previously committed to delivering the new payment on a like-for-like basis with the existing benefit.
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is voicing fears that vulnerable people could miss out on a lifeline payment amid the cost-of-living crisis.
More parents have been able to start work or progress their careers thanks to an initiative to expand access to school-age childcare, according to a new report. Eight childcare providers across Scotland received a share of almost £600,000 from the Scottish Government to help 650 children from
Councillors on Fife Council's Levenmouth Area Committee have agreed to support three worthwhile projects using cash from the area’s Local Community Planning (LCPB) Anti-Poverty fund.
More than 38,000 payments have been made to families to help with the costs of early learning and starting school. Families who qualify for Scottish Child Payment are now automatically awarded Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment when their child becomes eligible, without t
An online tool designed to ensure Scots are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to has identified £43 million in unclaimed money over the past year.
The families of more than 316,000 under-16s were benefitting from Scottish Child Payment by the end of June this year, according to the latest official statistics. New figures published today show the payment of £25 per week, which is unique in the UK, was reaching 316,190 - an increase of mor
People living in North Lanarkshire who face financial hardship are being encouraged to contact the council’s Tackling Poverty Team to make sure they are getting all the benefits they are due. This year an additional £40 million was secured for residents from advice services.
Tenants have received a million-pound boost after Thenue Housing staff helped them unlock access to a huge amount of benefits.
The Scottish Government and local authorities spent £56 million last year to provide lifeline support and to help mitigate UK Government welfare policies, according to official figures. The annual update of Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics for 2022-23 includes annual statistics on Community Ca
Bield has appointed two new income advice officers to help its tenants navigate the complex process of grant applications. Since joining the organisation at the end of 2022, Scott Alexander and Rebecca Summers have utilised their extensive expertise to drive over £60,000 in savings for te
Improvements to the way crisis support is delivered in Scotland have been set out in a new plan. The Scottish Welfare Fund provides a vital safety net which has paid out more than £380 million in emergency funds to more than half a million households over the last ten years.
A total of £46.9 billion was spent last year on public services to help tackle poverty, deliver fair pay deals, and support people displaced by the war in Ukraine, provisional figures have shown. The 2022-23 Provisional Outturn compares actual spending with the funding commitments set out in t
At a time when unclaimed welfare benefits throughout the UK reached a figure of £18.7 billion, Argyll Community Housing Association’s (ACHA) Welfare Rights team has secured almost £3.8 million for 1,268 households across Argyll and Bute in the last 12 months.