Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

British Sandwich Week (22-26 May):

Turn up the heat with this no-knead focaccia sandwich with Rowse Chilli Fusion honey

Instagram baker and Rowse Honey Squeeze Collective member Michael Pozerskis (@doeshebakedough) has shared his original recipe for a no-knead focaccia sandwich with burrata, mortadella and Rowse Chilli Fusion.

To help people make their sandwiches even more epic, he’s also pulled together his top tips for making the ultimate sandwich at home.

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What’s the secret to creating the perfect sandwich?

Texture, texture, and texture! Adding crunch to a basic sandwich is the way forward! Think crispy onions (or the classic crisp sandwich). 

What makes focaccia so special as a sandwich bread?

Focaccia is light, airy and robust, which means it can handle whatever wet or dry fillings you decide to put in it. People don’t necessarily think of focaccia as a sandwich bread but it’s perfect for it. No more sitting in the shadows – let the carb jump out!

Store-bought or home-baked?

By baking your own bread, you know exactly what goes into it. From a health perspective, I encourage you to go read the ingredients in most shop-bought loafs… that’s the kind of stuff I don’t want to be putting in my body! It’s all chemically enhanced – not for you, but for the company to speed up processes to make more money. Plus, baking your own bread is a great skill to have! Back to basics kind of stuff!

Any top tips for adding instant flavour to a sandwich?

Use honey! The sweetness from just a small squeeze can help balance and enhance the flavours. Or use a chilli infused one like Rowse’s Chilli Fusion for an instant kick! 

What are the benefits of using honey in your baking?

Rowse honey adds a natural sweetness to the end result. This can help to bring the dough and all the flavours to life, and balance out the salt. Another trick is to use a squeeze of honey to activate your yeast; a small amount gives the yeast all the food it needs to spike it into action quickly, giving you consistently good results.

What’s the best way to stave off the sogginess?

Careful layering… ie don’t put tomatoes on the bottom. Or you can go one step further and lightly toast the insides (classic burger bun technique) but think about your toppings – you don’t want to go wet on wet on wet as it will be like eating a slug.

Crusts on or off?

There are no crusts on a focaccia so there’s no chance of leaving anything on the plate – but if we’re talking a straight-up sandwich… crusts on, always on. (But weirdly I would probably eat them first…).

Recipe: No-Knead Focaccia Sandwich

Preparation time: 4-5 hours

Cooking time:  20-30 minutes

Servings: 2

Inspired by Southern Italy where focaccia forms the basis of all great lunches.
This easy-to-make focaccia offers an incredibly soft, airy bread, with a great amount of strength, which makes it perfect for sandwiches!

By Michael Pozerskis (@doeshebakedough), Rowse Honey Squeeze Collective member

Ingredients

For the No-Knead Focaccia:

  • 550g strong bread flour
  • 410ml water
  • 10g Rowse Fusion Chilli Honey
  • 20ml olive oil
  • 11g fine sea salt
  • 7g dried yeast

For the Sandwich Filling:

  • 6 large slices of mortadella with pistachios (or any quality ham you can get your hands on)
  • 1 ball of Burrata (or fresh mozzarella if you can’t find any)
  • 1 tsp Rowse Chilli Fusion honey
  • 2 good-quality tomatoes
  • Handful of fresh rocket
  • Couple of leaves of basil
  • Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil to drizzle

Method

Step 1: The dough…

  • Add 7g yeast, 410ml water and 10g Rowse Chilli Fusion honey into a large bowl and mix until fully incorporated.  Add the flour to the wet mix and stir with a spatula until it starts to form a smooth dough. Pour in the olive oil and combine until thoroughly incorporated into the dough. Cover and leave for 15-20 minutes.
  • Add the salt and vigorously mix into your dough using your spatula (alternatively, get your hands stuck in and squeeze the dough repeatedly). Keep going until the salt is incorporated and the dough is smooth (about 3 or 4 minutes).
  • Cover the dough and place in a switched-off oven. Place a pan of freshly boiled water in and close it (this creates a super warm and humid environment). Leave for 1-2 hours until the focaccia dough has doubled in size.
  • Line a baking tray, take your dough out and place into the tray. Cover with olive oil and lightly press the dough out towards the edges, making sure you don’t press too hard. You’ll dimple the dough later so don’t worry about this now.
  • Cover and place back in the switched-off oven. Take the dough out 1-1.5 hours later and turn up your oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
  • Coat your hands in olive and press the dough creating dimples, pushing the air gently out of the dough. This will create bubbles in the surface – a classic feature of any focaccia! Sprinkle some flaked sea salt over the top.
  • Get the dough into the oven and turn it down to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for 15 minutes. Continue to bake until golden brown.

Step 2: Building the sandwich…

  • Slice the focaccia into the number of sandwiches you’ll be making.
  • Slice in half, open up, and drizzle with olive oil. Layer your slices of mortadella (or ham), the tomato, rocket, basil and the burrata.
  • Finally, squeeze a generous amount of Rowse Fusion Chilli honey over the top (as much heat as you can handle!), Place the two halves together and get ready for the ultimate focaccia sandwich!

New research explores antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters

Research by James Hutton Institute and Heriot-Watt University scientists has carried out the first review of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Scotland’s waters.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, are a major source of concern for public health. According to the World Health Organisation, new resistance mechanisms continue to emerge and spread globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases and endangering the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

Work by Hutton and Heriot-Watt researchers, funded by Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters, considered the available information on antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters and identified emerging monitoring approaches and potential technological solutions for detecting and tackling antimicrobial resistance.

Findings will help policymakers develop solutions for detecting, monitoring and reducing antimicrobial resistance in Scottish waters.

Dr Lisa Avery, a senior environmental microbiologist at the James Hutton Institute’s Environmental and Biochemical Sciences department and co-author of the study, said: “So far, there has not been enough monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters to know how widespread or how concentrated the levels of resistant microbes, genes and resistance-driving chemicals are.

“Globally, lots of different methods are used for detecting resistance. The most common ones are to detect antibiotic resistant bacteria by culturing (growing) them and using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – based methods to detect specific resistance genes. Our study found no consensus on the best detection method.”

Dr Helen Bridle, Associate Professor at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering of Heriot-Watt University added: “A diversity of approaches is needed for research purposes.

“However, if we can develop some guidelines so that those researching or monitoring resistance in waters are encouraged to use at least one or two of the same approaches across all of the different studies, this would help in understanding antimicrobial resistance and how it is linked across humans, animals and the environment.”

At a recent meeting of the Scottish Parliament, Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, said: “We need to recognise that antimicrobial resistance does not affect only humans.

“Bacteria with the potential to become resistant to antibiotics exist in animals and in the environment. For that reason, we require a one health approach to the threat that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.”

The researchers conclude that agreement across methodological approaches and guidance would support technology developers to develop and validate new approaches for detecting antimicrobial resistance, as most current methods are developed for the clinical, rather than environmental field.

It’s hoped that treatment technologies can remove antimicrobial resistance, but cost-benefit analyses are needed to compare different treatment and mitigation strategies.

A spokesperson from SEPA commented: “SEPA welcomes the publication of the Centre of Expertise for Waters’ (CREW) policy briefing, which provides valuable insights to better understanding the risks of AMR in Scotland’s water environment.

“There are many sectors and activities we regulate that have the potential to exacerbate the spread of AMR through the environment, and we are committed to playing our role in understanding and helping to address the issue.

“Through research and multi-agency collaboration we are working to ensure that interventions are developed and implemented in a way that recognises how the health of people is closely and inextricably linked to the health of animals and our shared environment. This includes our involvement in key groups such as the One Heath Breakthrough Partnership and the Scottish One Health National AMR Action Plan Group.”

The policy outputs, including a policy note (Antimicrobial resistance in Scotland’s waters) and policy brief (Technologies for monitoring and treatment of antimicrobial resistance in water), are both available from the CREW website [https://www.crew.ac.uk/publications]. 

Policy_Brief_FINALDownload

Best Start, Bright Future: Poverty Alliance webinar on the Scottish Child Poverty Delivery Plan

Best Start, Bright Future – a Poverty Alliance Webinar

Monday 6 June 2022: 10am – 1pm 

Scotland is a country where compassion is strong, but where child poverty is an ongoing injustice that we have to end together.

Best Start, Bright Future, the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, was published at the end of March. It’s designed to help create the change we need to drive down child poverty and reach Scotland’s interim child poverty targets in 2024. 

There are a lot of commitments in the plan, and we are hosting a special morning webinar to explore how we can make sure they are implemented, and how they can best deliver practical change in our communities. 

The plan includes pledges to: increase the level of the Scottish Child Payment; create a new employability offer to help parents get into work, and; mitigation of the benefit cap. 

There is lot more besides, and Best Start, Bright Futures will touch on all areas of anti-poverty activity in Scotland. It is crucial for groups and organisations across the country to understand what it all means for their work.

Please join us for a morning of discussion on how we can all work together to ensure that the ambition contained in the plan is delivered.   

Click here to register!

Agenda 

10:00 Welcome  Peter Kelly, Director, the Poverty Alliance 

10:05 Best Start, Bright Futures: What you need to know! 

Julie Humphreys, Deputy Director, Tackling Child Poverty & Financial Wellbeing, Scottish Government  

10:20 From Plan to Practice: Perspectives on Best Start, Bright Futures 

Professor Morag Treanor, Deputy Chair, Poverty and Inequality Commission 

John Dickie, Director, Child Poverty Action Group Scotland 

Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland 

10:50 Panel Discussion 

11:15 Comfort Break 

11.30 Workshops 

1. Making Employability Work for Priority Group Families 

  • Jack Evans, Policy Manager, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 
  • Laura Millar, Strategic Manager, Fife Gingerbread 

2. Social security: Priorities for tackling poverty  

  • Tressa Burke, CEO, Glasgow Disability Alliance (tbc) 
  • Polly Jones, Head of Scotland, Trussell Trust (tbc) 

3. Childcare and Child Poverty – Meeting the Challenges 

  • Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap (tbc) 
  • Satwat Rehman, Chief Executive, One Parent Families Scotland (tbc)  

12.30: Feedback from groups and concluding remarks 

13:00 Close 

StagEHd: Edinburgh’s Theatre Festival

Saturday 28th & Sunday 29 May
Ross Bandstand, Princes Street Gardens

StagEHd is a two day festival of theatre, celebrating the performing arts in Edinburgh.

Born out of a conversation about the commercialisation of Edinburgh’s public spaces, StagEHd is an open access, free-to-attend festival of theatre, featuring the best of Edinburgh’s independent, grassroots and community theatre companies.

The festival began partly as a response to the closure of the city’s arts spaces during the 2020 pandemic, by EGTG (Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group) in collaboration with other community theatre companies in the city, as an opportunity to showcase homegrown talent to a local audience.

Breathtaking film with a powerful message for Scottish bikers: ‘Take your time to take it all in’

Bikers from Evolution Women’s Motorcycle Club rolled out the red carpet and declared ‘Action!’ on the latest film from motorcycle safety campaign Live Fast Die Old, by The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland.

Part of the campaign’s Breathtaking Roads series, the stunning new film highlights the thrill of riding while also reminding motorcyclists to enjoy Scotland’s roads safely.

Shot on the scenic Isle of Skye, the short film uses striking slo-mo footage to highlight the importance of considering the entire picture and every potential hazard before making the decision to overtake. It urges motorcyclists exploring Scotland’s roads to ‘take your time to take it all in’.

Despite accounting for less than 1% of all road traffic in Scotland motorcyclists are over represented in reported casualties. In 2020, there were 418 reported motorcyclist casualties on Scotland’s roads. Of these, 16 were fatalities (17% of all road deaths) and 242 resulted in serious injury.1

Loss of control is the most commonly reported contributory factor for motorcyclists, involved in 19% of all accidents. Bends and overtaking continue to be among the riskiest manoeuvres, with bends being a factor in 22% of all reported injury accidents, and overtaking in 10%.

Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth, said: “We’re seeing lots of bikers on the roads with many taking advantage of the longer days and enjoying the incredible scenery Scotland has to offer.

“The Live Fast Die Old campaign celebrates biking, but we know motorcyclists face significant risks on our roads and we want to ensure they practise safe riding habits – especially when overtaking and going round bends which can be particularly risky manoeuvres.

“I’d urge any motorcyclists exploring Scotland’s breathtaking roads this season to take their time, adjust their speed and consider their surroundings before overtaking. Enjoy the ride – but get home in one piece.”

The new film coincides with Police Scotland’s motorcycle safety campaign.

Fellow biker and deputy head of road policing, Superintendent Stewart Mackie, said: “We speak to bikers and other road users all year round but as the better weather arrives, there is a real focus on motorbike safety and educating all drivers.

“Motorcyclists are more vulnerable than other road users. My plea to other riders is a straightforward one – get home safe.

“I have bitter experience of attending fatal collisions over the years and we must all be cautious on bends, especially left hand bends and think twice before every single overtake.

“I understand the pleasure of being on a bike and exploring Scotland but there’s nothing more important than returning home to your loved ones safe and well.”

Previous films in the Breathtaking Roads series were popular with Scotland’s biking community and showcased stunning routes in coastal, forest and mountain regions of Scotland, while focusing on key manoeuvres such as overtaking, cornering and riding as a group.

Scottish biker Jayne Tollan, Chairwoman of Evolution Women’s Motorcycle Club, said: “We’re really excited to support the launch of the new Live Fast Die Old film and get behind its main message.

“As bikers we can be vulnerable on the road, especially when we’re overtaking, so it’s important we remember to take our time and take in everything that’s happening around us before making the move.

“We all love riding in Scotland – so let’s do it safely.”

The campaign will run across social media and digital channels, with posters displayed at key locations targeting motorcyclists across Scotland, including dealers, petrol stations, garages and cafes along Scotland’s most popular biker routes.

The dedicated Live Fast Die Old website and Facebook page offer rich and engaging content for motorcyclists, with films and blogs from Scottish bikers sharing their first-hand experience and tips with peers, as well as route inspiration and best practice advice.

The Live Fast Die Old campaign is looking for bikers across Scotland to get involved by sharing their experience, advice, top routes and ride-out tips with other bikers. If you’d like to be part of the campaign, follow Live Fast Die Old on Facebook or get in touch at roadsafety@smarts.agency.

To watch the latest Breathtaking Roads film and join the conversation, visit the Live Fast Die Old website (livefastdieold.scot) / or Facebook page facebook.com/livefastdieoldscotland.

Pensions: people on lower incomes can be confused and disadvantaged by defined contribution pensions

New research released finds defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, which do not automatically offer a secure, guaranteed income for life, can lead to poor outcomes for those on lower incomes.

Since the introduction of ‘pension freedoms’ in 2015, the vast majority of consumers are opting against a guaranteed income, resulting in them facing significant threats to their retirement security.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham, supported by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, conducted in-depth interviews with DC pension consumers and gained insights from industry stakeholders to shed light on the experiences, risks and challenges of pension decision-making in the new retirement landscape.  

They concluded that the existing system disadvantages people who are already vulnerable to poor pension outcomes.

Those from more disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to have access to networks of friends and family who can help them with their decision-making. In addition, the support available for those without access to regulated financial advice (typically those with smaller pension pots and/or low-to-middle incomes) remains largely limited to written information and checklist-based guidance.

This means many people do not have access to the kind of support they need – i.e. a personal recommendation on the best course of action.

Researchers found:

1. Consumers feel confused and overwhelmed by the DC withdrawal decision. Many people feel ill-prepared for making the ‘right’ decision about accessing their DC pension savings. They are often overwhelmed by its complexity and feel they need more help in the form of personalised advice, however, the cost of this advice is unaffordable for those on lower incomes.

2. Consumers (particularly non-advised consumers) do not know who to trust when they need support with their decision. This leads to poorer outcomes for those from less affluent backgrounds, who do not have social networks of people who can recommend trustworthy advisers.

3. Consumers have to manage high levels of confusion and uncertainty about the future when making a decumulation decision. Consumers are aware they have to manage multiple risks when deciding what to do with their DC pension pot. This includes several highly unpredictable aspects of the future, such as their health and longevity, the need for care, and stock market performance. This ‘individualisation’ of risk creates a sense of insecurity and adds to the discomfort and difficulty of the decision-making process.

Researchers have called for government, regulators and employers to do more to protect low-income DC scheme holders.

They make the following recommendations:

  • Better value products – Government and regulators must ensure industry works harder to meet the needs of people on low-to-middle incomes by creating more flexible, better value products. For example, by introducing a charge cap for DC investment pathways and drawdown arrangements to prevent consumers paying unnecessarily high charges, and help rebalance some of the responsibility for achieving good consumer outcomes
  • Price-capping – There should be Government-funded, price-capped, financial advice services so that lower income people can access regulated financial advice to support their pension decisions.  
  • Reducing risk – Access to affordable, trustworthy regulated financial advice should be expanded as an option for all DC pension consumers. Through the introduction of pension freedoms, Government has created a situation where individuals are taking on too much responsibility and risk for securing an adequate retirement income. Government therefore needs to redress this balance by taking responsibility for providing appropriate protection and support. More regulation is needed of DC pensions to ensure value for customers.

Dr Louise Overton, Assistant Professor in Social Policy and Director of CHASM from the University of Birmingham, said: “Seven years on from the introduction of pension freedoms, too many people are facing poor retirement outcomes because industry and government aren’t doing enough to protect them.

“Our research shows that Pension Wise (set up as ‘a first port of call for DC consumers, offering free and impartial information and guidance) does not offer adequate support, and those without access to good quality regulated financial advice (those with smaller pension pots and lower incomes) are particularly at risk of adverse outcomes.

“We call on government, industry and the regulator to expand the scope of money guidance, widen access to regulated advice, and prioritise product innovation.”

Karen Barker, Head of Policy at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, said: ““The current ‘one size fits all’ system is not suitable for those on lower incomes. Whilst the new pension freedoms introduced by the government have benefitted many, this research shows they cause a great deal of confusion.

“It’s not practical to expect those with smaller pension pots to pay a lot of money for advice on how to manage those pots.

“However, it’s vital that those on low-to-middle incomes are properly advised if we are to avoid a return to high levels of pensioner poverty.”

SHE Scotland to hold Funders & Partners event

We are looking for like minded business, community groups, school leaders and charity owners to join us for our funders and partners night so we can work together to provide more opportunities for girls and young women.

This evening is a great opportunity for networking and explore potential synergies with other local groups.

The evening will be held on Thursday 26th May from 6-8pm in our space at 525 Ferry Road, EH5 2FF and will include talks from our members at SHE Scotland so you can find out more about what we do and how you can help us provide more opportunities for girls and young women.

This is a great opportunity for networking and we would love to see like minded business, community groups, school leaders and charity owners attend so please do spread this invite far and wide!

If you would like to come along, please do RSVP via the link below! We hope to see you there!

shescotland@outlook.com

.

Evading scrutiny?

Government blocks evidence session with Cabinet Secretary

The Government have blocked the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, and Government ethics chief, Darren Tierney, from appearing before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday 24 May.

The session was confirmed several weeks ago as part of the Committee’s inquiry into the propriety of governance in light of Greensill. It was due to discuss the management of conflicts of interest and unregulated appointments in the Civil Service, the Downing Street parties and the recent announcement on the Government’s intention to reduce the size of the Civil Service by almost 100,000 jobs.

The Committee has been told by officials that ministerial approval for the Cabinet Secretary to give evidence on Tuesday has been pulled. The session will not take place on 24 May and has been rescheduled for the 28 June.

Chair of PACAC William Wragg MP said: “The session with the Cabinet Secretary was an important one considering the number of propriety and ethics issues on the agenda. We had also hoped to get clarity on the Government’s plans for civil service reform, public scrutiny of which was much needed after they were briefed to the press last weekend.

“The intervention to pull the session at such short notice evades timely parliamentary scrutiny of these plans and puts government transparency in a poor light.”

Which? Money-Saving Monday: Save money on tax

As the impact of the cost of living crisis hits home for millions of people, Which? shares tips to help consumers shave money off their tax bills.

There are lots of ways to reduce your tax bill legally, whether you’re an employee or self-employed, a landlord, investor or pensioner. Simple checks can boost your take-home earnings with minimal effort. There are also tax reliefs and government schemes that can help.

Check your tax code
Consumers who pay tax via Pay As You Earn (PAYE) should check if they’re on the correct tax code, to be sure they’re not paying more tax than necessary. Those on the incorrect code might be entitled to pay less tax in the coming months, or receive a rebate from HMRC for previous overpayments. Someone might find themselves on the wrong tax code, or an emergency tax code if they’ve started a new job and their new employer doesn’t have a P45, if they’ve recently had a change in salary, or if they’ve started or stopped taxable state benefits. For example, basic-rate taxpayers given an emergency tax code that excludes their personal allowance could pay an extra £2,514 in the 2022-23 tax year.

Consumers should check their tax code each year, or after changing jobs, to make sure it’s correct for their situation. Find out the most common ones in Which?’s guide to understanding your tax code.

 Check if you qualify for any benefits
Workers on a low income with less than £16,000 collectively in any savings and investments may be able to qualify for Universal Credit, which is due to replace other legacy benefits like tax credits by 2024. Payments will vary depending on people’s circumstances. Those with children, for instance, could receive up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, up to £646 a month for one child, or £1,108 for two children.

Every year more than £15bn goes unclaimed from the Treasury from households eligible for benefits, meaning more than seven million UK households could be missing out on benefits and other help like council tax discounts. Which? suggests checking what might be available to claim by entering details about you and anyone else in your household into the entitled to calculator.

Pay into a pension scheme
Employees can contribute to their employer’s pension scheme from their gross pay, before any tax is charged. The government then tops up the pension contribution with tax relief, providing a free bonus for saving for retirement. The effect of tax relief is that a contribution of £100 that would have been taxed at 20 per cent, and therefore worth £80 net, is paid into your pension fund without any deduction – so it’s worth the full £100.

Be sure to meet the tax return deadline to avoid a £100 fine
Around 12 million people need to submit a self-assessment tax return each year. Missing the claim deadline is a costly and easily avoided mistake. Those making an online submission have until 31 January 2023 to send in their 2021-2022 return, but for paper submissions the deadline is earlier, 31 October 2022. Missing the deadline incurs an automatic penalty of £100, even for those who don’t owe any tax. Use the Which? tax calculator to tot up your return and submit it directly to HMRC.

Reclaim overpaid taxes
Non-taxpayers and those whose income has unexpectedly fallen during the year might have been taxed more than they should have done, as HMRC assumes your personal allowance is equally used each month. To reclaim, fill out form R40 from HMRC, or call them.

Claim tax-free childcare
Under the tax-free childcare scheme, parents can claim back 25 per cent of their childcare costs up to £500 every three months. There are certain eligibility criteria, including having a child under 11 and earning less than £100,000. To get started, parents need to set up an online account, which can be used to manage payments to their childcare provider. For every £8 you deposit, the government will pay in £2, up to the value of £500 every three months, or £1,000 if a child is disabled.

Maximise your personal savings allowance
In 2022-23, savers can earn £1,000 of interest on savings tax-free if they’re a basic-rate taxpayer. Higher-rate taxpayers have a tax-free allowance of £500. This means they only pay tax on savings income that exceeds this threshold. This will no longer be deducted automatically by the savings provider. If tax is due, you’ll need to pay it via self-assessment or have it deducted via PAYE. Keep in mind that you won’t have a savings allowance as an additional rate (45%) taxpayer.

Use the starter rate for savings
If your income from a job or pension is below £12,570 in 2022-23, but you earn income through interest on savings, you may also qualify for the starter savings allowance. Any interest you earn up to £5,000 is tax-free. This will be in addition to your personal savings allowance, meaning you could earn as much as £18,570 before paying tax.

Benefit from lesser-known allowances
Consumers can keep hold of a bigger chunk of their earnings by claiming all the tax allowances they might be entitled to. Marriage tax allowance and the Rent-a-Room scheme can save significant sums, yet relatively few people are aware of them. For example, those renting out a room in their home can take advantage of the Rent-a-Room scheme, which means they can earn up to £7,500 tax-free. Marriage allowance benefits couples where one partner earns less than the personal allowance, and the other is a basic-rate taxpayer. Married couples or those in a civil partnership can transfer a 10 per cent personal allowance from the lower-earning partner to the higher earner. In 2022-23, £1,260 can be transferred, potentially saving you up to £250.

Get a reduction on your council tax if you’re a low earner
Those on low incomes may be eligible for a council tax reduction of up to 100%. Each local authority has different criteria for who is eligible to claim council tax reduction and the size of the reduction depends on income, savings and whether the claimant lives alone

Those who don’t qualify for a discount themselves, but share a property with a second adult who does (and is not their spouse or civil partner), might be able to claim a second adult rebate.

Reena Sewraz, Which? Money Expert said:  “Many people are feeling financial pressure at the moment as soaring energy and food prices, as well as tax hikes, have put a huge strain on household budgets. However, there are steps you can take to save money on tax.

“It is always worth doing a quick check to make sure you’re on the right tax code – if this is incorrect you could be eligible for reduced tax or a refund from HMRC. You can also easily check if you’re eligible to claim additional allowances and benefits from the government, such as marriage tax allowance, universal credit, or a discount on your council tax.

Edinburgh welcomes more than 1300 Ukrainian refugees

“Edinburgh has been amazing. I can’t say anything other than that.”

More than 1,300 people fleeing conflict in Ukraine have arrived through Edinburgh’s Welcome Hub, with the significant majority of all arrivals to Scotland coming in through the city.

Located in a peaceful and secluded area close to the Airport, the Welcome Hub offers some respite after long and difficult journeys reaching Edinburgh, with medical assistance from the NHS available. 

Established with the support of the Scottish Government and other partner agencies in Gogarburn at the RBS/NatWest campus, it involves a huge, combined effort – from both volunteers and Council officers – to welcome around 40 new refugees a day, which is approximately four times that of the national average.

Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, Andrew Kerr, said: “I am truly proud of the incredible response Edinburgh has provided to Ukrainians seeking sanctuary here in Edinburgh.

“The support we’ve provided to over 1,300 refugees to date wouldn’t be possible without the time of volunteers, the donations we’ve received or the generosity of residents. The number of local people giving over their hearts and their homes to become host families has been nothing short of remarkable. I want to thank everyone involved – from Council colleagues and partners, to every volunteer who has been working tirelessly. 

“We are starting to see up to 90% of all arrivals to Scotland enter through Edinburgh’s Hub, which demonstrates the scale of responsibility we now face. I’m pleased that the feedback from those using our services has been very positive and other cities have been turning to Edinburgh as an example of best practice.

“There is a significant ongoing effort to ensure every refugee settling in the city receives a warm welcome and access to vital support. It remains an extensive piece of work which involves a great deal of resource, but we are committed to supporting every person who settles in Edinburgh, as far as we possibly can.

“This includes everything from arranging accommodation, transport, interpreters, access to GPs and healthcare, counselling, education, employment support, host checks and other vital services.” 

Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, the Holova (Chair) of the Association of Ukrainians in Edinburgh, said: “We have come full circle from the Association being set up. We were beginning to become quite a quiet community here in Edinburgh, but now we are using the community centre for the reasons that our fathers set it up. We are supporting newly-arrived Ukrainians and their families in Edinburgh, until they choose to go home.
 
“We’ve been giving out SIM cards and bus passes. We’ve also got laptops and iPads so that the students who have arrived can continue their studies and stay connected to Ukraine. 

“Edinburgh has been amazing. I can’t say anything other than that.”

Paul Wilson Chief Officer of Volunteer Edinburgh said: “Once again our Community Taskforce Volunteers have been amazing.  For almost two months we have been deploying volunteers seven days a week at the airport to welcome people from Ukraine and help guide them to the Welcome Hub.  

“Our volunteers have done Edinburgh proud, often going beyond the call of duty. They have stayed until the early hours of the morning at the airport to make sure passengers arriving on late-night flights are supported.”
 
“I am so proud of all our Community Taskforce Volunteers who not just helped at the airport but have provided informal language support, sorted donations, and packed hundreds of back packs with basic supplies. 
 
Things are only getting busier, and with Edinburgh increasingly becoming the hub for arrivals to Scotland it is the partnership approach the Edinburgh has taken that is ensuring that displaced Ukrainians are receiving the help and support that they need.” 

Bridie Ashrowan, Chief Executive, EVOC (Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council) said: “Our hope for the Ukrainian people is peace in the very near future, but in the meantime it is vital that we at EVOC, and the community and voluntary sector, collaborate with partners across the City (and at a national level) to offer a warm welcome to those who are arriving in Scotland.

“Edinburgh Community Food, Fresh Start, North Edinburgh Arts and Cyrenians are already on the ground, providing emergency food support and more organisations are coming together to deliver on a longer-term approach.

“The Edinburgh Community Transport Operators Group are helping with onward travel from the Airport and other community and voluntary organisations are involved in delivering support for children and families, providing opportunities for Ukrainians to learn English and to build social connections.

“It’s so important that they settle into and feel part of the communities where they live… in Edinburgh or further afield.”

Welcome arrangements

Free transport is provided from the airport to the Hub and arranged from Edinburgh bus and train stations where required, 24 hours a day. We organise onward travel to, for example, hotel or host accommodation. The safety and wellbeing of refugees remains paramount and we are also coordinating home and host checks through our licensing team. 
 
For people settling in Edinburgh on the Homes for Ukraine and Super Sponsor scheme, we provide the first part of their £200 resettlement grant at the Hub.

We’ve also set up a 24-hour helpline (in our customer contact team) for Ukraine arrivals in Edinburgh. To date the line has been very busy, averaging over 50 calls a day. 

As an extension of the Welcome Hub, the customer contact team is providing a specialist drop-in facility at 249 High Street. This operates Monday to Friday, 10am-12pm and 2-4pm, with an interpreter present to help people settling in Edinburgh with benefit and grant payments. 
 
Since opening in April, colleagues have supported 250 people, primarily with financial and employability support. Work is also underway to recruit Ukrainian-speaking customer contact advisors.
 
Volunteer efforts and donations
 
The response from residents and businesses has been typically generous. EVOC and Volunteer Edinburgh are leading on a strategic approach to co-ordinating this goodwill and the work of third sector groups in the city, focused around four main themes – food, translation, transport, and the volunteer ‘taskforce’.
 
The Ukrainian Club on Royal Terrace has become a point of community support and communications for people when they settle, with regular coffee mornings/events at which the Council, DWP and other partners attend to give advice and support. This is where many donated items are being collected under the Club’s direction.

Alongside resident and local community efforts, the Visitor Attractions Group (Capital Group) have provided free tickets to key Edinburgh attractions, including the Castle and the Zoo. 
 
Edinburgh Leisure have provided passes for leisure centres, while Boots have donated toiletries, Clarks have donated shoes and NatWest is continuing to provide office space for the welcome hub. The Edinburgh Tattoo has also provided office space, for donations to be sorted. 
 
The rucksacks we hand out at the Welcome Hub – filled with initial donations of essential items such as toiletries – are well received and special rucksacks with teddies are provided to children. We also have a supply of baby accessories including baby boxes, buggies, prams, and car seats. 
 
Education
 
We’re arranging places for early years and schools, with many children and young people already supported into education. 
 
With support from charities, electronic devices such as laptops and iPads are being provided to student aged arrivals to ensure they can continue studies in Ukrainian. The Ukrainian Club has also funded a number of bus tickets and passes. 
 
When children are enrolled in a school, families can apply for a National Entitlement Card through Travel.AllocationPanel@edinburgh.gov.uk. Ukrainian applications will be fast tracked.
 
We have also been working with partners to support the Dnipro Children’s charity, a Hibs Supporters Group, which has had a relationship with children’s homes in Dnipro since 2005. The charity arranged to bring 52 children and six house mothers to Scotland. We are providing provide ongoing support, including education and health, in partnership with the Dnipro Charity and Edinburgh College.
 
Twin City support
 
We are continuing to maintain supportive relationships with and respond to appeals from our counterparts in Edinburgh’s twin cities Kyiv and Krakow. 
Following an appeal to the Lord Provost from Kyiv to help protect their monuments and statues, and in a show of ingenuity and collaboration between ten different organisations, over 3,000 sandbags were sourced and transported on an easyJet flight from Edinburgh to Krakow. 
 
We are now working with a Scottish charity, Sunflower Scotland, to send over 10,000 more sandbags – this time to Kharkiv – along with a ton of potatoes, on the city’s request. A shipment of shoes has also been made to Kyiv.
 
In an ongoing display of solidarity, the Ukrainian flag continues to fly above the City Chambers while the Granton gasholder remains illuminated in blue and yellow. 

Further information is available on our bespoke webpage, which is available in English and Ukrainian: Supporting the Ukraine and its people.