Tag: advice

Support for vulnerable households facing higher energy bills during lockdown

With an estimated 16.8 million more people across the UK staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, concerns have been raised over vulnerable households in Scotland facing higher fuel costs as their energy consumption increases during the lockdown.

Bills are expected to rise by about 30%** in the coming months as, even with the weather starting to turn warmer, households are using more power to run their hot water, heating, computers and other appliances during the day when previously the home would be empty.

Whilst the government has signalled it may step in to support vulnerable households and the initial crash in the price of oil has provided some relief to the 135,000 oil heated households in Scotland, there is concern many will still struggle, particularly if they face reduced incomes or additional costs of looking after relatives.

In response OFTEC, the trade association for the oil heating industry, is alerting households to the support available and providing advice on how to reduce energy consumption. This includes:

  • Identify the benefits available to you. Several new government measures have been announced including extended statutory sick pay (SSP) for those self-isolating, enhanced Employment Support Allowance (ESA) for the self-employed and higher housing benefit payments if your income has dropped due to Covid-19. Contact Citizens Advice for information on the support you could claim.
  • Speak with your energy provider. Customers in financial distress must be supported by their supplier, according to the government. This could include a reassessment or pausing of debt repayments. For oil households, some suppliers are prioritising deliveries to vulnerable groups such as older people, families with small children or those with underlying health conditions.
  • Only heat the rooms you are using. Turn off individual radiators in rooms you are not using to save money. Also, in the rooms you use regularly, ensure radiators are not blocked with furniture as this reduces their effectiveness.
  • Adjust your heating timers. You may have a new routine if you are working from home so check when you heating is set to turn on. For example, if you are getting up later in the morning you may not need your house to warm up as early. With the worst of the cold weather seemingly behind us, you could also start to reduce how long your heating is on for.
  • Keep in contact with vulnerable neighbours and friends to ensure they are keeping well, especially as the lockdown could increase feelings of loneliness. There are many free video-calling platforms to stay in touch or a regular phone call can make a real difference. If you need to visit them to drop off food or other essentials, ensure you carefully follow the government’s social distancing guidelines.

“During these unsettling times, many households may be feeling anxious about higher energy bills because they are spending more time at home during the day”, says Malcolm Farrow of OFTEC.

“However, new announcements about the support available are being made every day by the government and energy suppliers so it’s important to identify those which apply to you, or to family and friends who you know are struggling.

“The warmer weather will help to reduce reliance on heating and other measures such as adjusting timers and radiators may seem trivial but, over several weeks and months, the savings can really add up. They are also usually simple jobs most people can do themselves.”

More information and advice, including what to do if your heating systems needs emergency repair work during the Covid-19 lockdown, is available here: https://www.oftec.org/consumers/covid-19-consumer-information.

Free Coronavirus Information book for children

Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it.

Published by Nosy Crow, and written by staff within the company, the book has had expert input: Professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine acted as a consultant, and the company also had advice from two head teachers and a child psychologist.

The book answers key questions in simple language appropriate for 5 to 9 year olds:

• What is the coronavirus?
• How do you catch the coronavirus?
• What happens if you catch the coronavirus?
• Why are people worried about catching the coronavirus?
• Is there a cure for the coronavirus?
• Why are some places we normally go to closed?
• What can I do to help?
• What’s going to happen next?

We want to make sure that this book is accessible to every child and family and so the book is offered totally free of charge to anyone who wants to read it.

However, we have suggested, at the back of the book, that families might make a donation to help our health service if they find the book useful: https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/.

Kate Wilson, Managing Director of Nosy Crow, said: “We were very aware that many parents and carers are struggling to explain the current extraordinary situation to children, many of whom are frightened and confused.

“We thought that the best thing we could do would be to use our skills to produce a free book to explain and, where possible, reassure children. We asked Axel, whose work is so familiar and so loved, to illustrate it. He was happy to do it, and did it extraordinarily quickly.

“Meanwhile, having heard Professor Medley interviewed by the BBC, we looked him up and wrote to him, and despite his huge workload, he reviewed the book over a weekend, and we were able to incorporate his suggestions, together with those of two head teachers and a child psychologist, into the final version of the book. We hope it helps answer difficult questions in difficult times.”

Axel Scheffler, illustrator of The Gruffalo, said: “I asked myself what I could do as an children’s illustrator to inform, as well as entertain, my readers here and abroad. So I was glad when my publisher, Nosy Crow, asked me to illustrate this question-and-answer book about the coronavirus.

“I think it is extremely important for children and families to have access to good and reliable information in this unprecedented crisis, and I hope that the popularity of the books I’ve done with Julia Donaldson will ensure that this digital book will reach many children who are now slightly older, but might still remember our picture books.”

Professor Graham Medley, Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “This pandemic is changing children’s lives across the globe and will have a lasting impact on us all.

“Helping children understand what is going on is an important step in helping them cope and making them part of the story – this is something that we are all going through, not something being done to them.

“This book puts children IN the picture rather just watching it happen, and in a way that makes the scary parts easier to cope with.”

You can download a copy of the book here 

Stick to advice: STAY HOME THIS WEEKEND

With warm weather forecast this weekend people may feel tempted to head out more, but please stick to government guidance. You are saving lives by staying at home.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Don’t travel unless it is essential and particularly avoid using public transport this weekend.

“I know that during the warm weather this weekend people may feel tempted to make the most of it and head out to nearby green spaces more than they have in recent weeks.

“But I want to urge everyone to continue to follow government guidance; that means not travelling too far to exercise or walk pets, staying 2 metres away from other people when outside, and only making journeys when absolutely essential.

“Please remember that anyone can get coronavirus and anyone can spread it – so stay home, protect the NHS, and save lives. As the Prime Minister has said, we will beat coronavirus, and we will beat it together. But to do that we need to stick with the guidance in place, and not break the regulations set to help tackle this outbreak.

“And for those people in the transport sector continuing to work day in and day out to ensure frontline workers can get to work, I want to reiterate my heartfelt thanks at the efforts and dedication you’re showing in helping with this nationwide effort.”

Heart Research UK Healthy tip: Easy ways to get your 5-a-day!

Eating five portions of fruit and veg every day can help keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of heart disease. As supermarket shelves are emptier than usual, Heart Research UK have some tips to help you achieve your 5-a-day during this challenging time.

What counts as a portion?

Eighty grams of fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and veg or 30g dried fruit count as one portion. For example, one fresh pear or banana, two small plums, or three heaped tablespoons of peas. Beans and pulses also count, but you should only count these once as they contain fewer nutrients compared to other fruit and veg. 150ml of fruit/vegetable juice or smoothie also counts, but you should limit these drinks to no more than one a day due to the sugars they contain.

Top up with lentils

Lentils are a versatile ingredient and a great source of fibre, which is good for heart health. Try replacing some of the meat in your bolognese sauce with a handful of lentils or try adding lentils to homemade soups.

Include tinned, frozen and dried fruit and veg in your meals

As the population is being encouraged to make fewer trips to the supermarket, you may find that you need to rely on the food in your store cupboard and freezer more than usual. Try adding dried or frozen fruit to your bowl of breakfast cereal in the morning and include a variety of frozen or tinned veg with your evening meals. Tinned fruit with yoghurt can also provide you with a healthy dessert.

Enjoy homemade soups for lunch

Homemade soups are an easy way to increase your veg intake. You can include a variety of tinned, fresh and frozen veg in soups. There are lots of healthy vegetable soup recipes available online, but here is one to get you started.

Easy-peasy pea soup.

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 400g frozen peas, defrosted
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh mint, finely chopped (optional)

Heat the oil over a medium heat and stir in the chopped onion. Gently fry the onion until soft, but not browned. Add the peas and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree the soup using a blender and add salt and pepper to taste. If you have fresh mint available, you can add this at the end.

New guidance to support mental wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak

Advice on looking after your mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is now available on NHS inform, Scotland’s trusted health information site.

As people across Scotland adjust to these unusual circumstances, NHS 24’s mental health practitioners anticipate many will experience anxiety and stress about what’s going on in the world. In particular, those living alone or who are self-isolating, may be struggling with limited social contact as a result of social distancing measures.

NHS 24 Medical Director, Dr Laura Ryan, said: “Everyone deals with this type of situation differently, and it may feel like there is a lot going on which is outside of your control.

“Remember it’s ok, not to feel ok. Understandably, you may need some additional mental health support at this challenging time. Don’t forget that we’re all in this together and that support is available from a wide range of organisations to help you get through this.”

The NHS inform website hosts the national information service for COVID-19 and now provides online information and practical advice on mental wellbeing – www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus-mental-wellbeing

Guidance is centred on four main areas:

  • Staying informed – having the right information, as news from unreliable sources can make you feel more upset and anxious.
  • Creating a healthy home routine – helping everyone in your home to keep a sense of calm and order.
  • Staying connected – keeping in touch with friends and family online or by phone, to help you feel less alone while staying home.
  • Finding support – just talking to someone can help, phonelines such as Breathing Space and Samaritans are there to offer support.

Breathing Space National Coordinator, Tony McLaren, said: “We are receiving lots of calls to the Breathing Space helpline from people feeling anxious about their health, or concerned about the health of others.

“It’s perfectly understandable to feel this way, and our advisors are here to listen and offer support. Having mental health information available on NHS inform is an additional resource which can be accessed to potentially help ease anxieties.”

You can hear more from Tony on how to manage your mental health- search for ‘Tony McLaren NHS 24’ on www.soundcloud.com.

Extra funding from the Scottish Government has been made available for NHS 24 to develop additional self-help guides, online resources and mental health services to cope with further demand.

Big Hearts: Gorgie charity opens new helplines

Big Hearts, the charity of Heart of Midlothian FC, is shifting their activity to focus on phone and online support, through new dedicated helplines launched today.

Over the past two weeks the Big Hearts’ team of nine staff has been working on alternative ways to maintain their vital work to local groups at a high risk of loneliness, poor mental health, complex family backgrounds and food poverty.

The new Big Hearts helplines are designed to provide regular support over the phone and use digital means to address people’s urgent needs – whilst ensuring the safety of all staff, volunteers and beneficiaries.

Based at Tynecastle Stadium, the charity supports more than 150 vulnerable adults and children on a weekly basis, through a range of programmes including the Kinship Care after school club, The Changing Room project and Football Memories for over 65s.

Craig Wilson, Big Hearts General Manager said: “On 13 March we decided to suspend all our face to face activity to ensure everyone’s safety. Our staff team has been working remotely, completing hundreds of calls to families, isolated adults and older people to assess their immediate needs and offer some guidance and support.

“After a couple of weeks working in this new setting, we are delighted to announce a new series of landline numbers that people can call for a confidential chat and some targeted support.”

Kinship Care Helpline: 0131 603 4927
Advice on parenting strategies, peer support & service referrals for local kinship care families.

The Changing Room at Hearts: 0131 603 4929
Mental health support, wellbeing info and regular peer support in partnership with SAMH.

Community Helpline: 0131 603 4928
Social connection & advice for beneficiaries and volunteers at risk of loneliness & poverty.

www.bighearts.org.uk

GIC still providing support and advice

Due to the Coronavirus restrictions our office currently remains closed to the public – but Granton Information Centre is still operating!

Please call us Mon – Fri, 9.30am – 4pm on 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458 if:

•  You would like to arrange a telephone appointment to discuss money, benefits, housing or debt

•  You wish to discuss an existing case

•  You require a foodbank referral

All messages will be returned as long as you clearly leave a telephone number for us to reach you on.

Emails are being checked daily – our email address is info@gic.org.uk

GIC Covid19 advice

Granton Information Centre – here for you

 

Coronavirus: coping at this difficult time

For those already living with stress or anxiety, the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 (or coronavirus) may be particularly difficult (writes BETHANY SMITH).

In normal life, many of us have a bank of coping strategies, such as going to the gym, meeting up with friends or keeping busy with hobbies and work. In such uncertain and worrying times, many of these coping strategies have been taken away and the thought of spending so much time at home can be frightening.

Firstly, remember you are not alone. It’s okay to feel anxious and many others will be feeling the same way too. It’s still important to talk about how you’re feeling and to reach out if you need support.

Practise your usual coping strategies where possible – breathing techniques, grounding, focusing on the present. If you usually go to the gym – go for a walk or run (if you can) or try following a home workout video.

Limiting your exposure to the news is important too. While it is necessary to be aware of what is happening, there is no need to overexpose.

This will only feed your fears. Allocate a set time of day where you will check the news, for example, after breakfast or during the government’s daily update. Then avoid or limit your exposure throughout the rest of the day.

Keep yourself busy and try not to allow your mind time to overthink and catastrophise. Creating a new routine is a great way to look after your mental health. Stay active and eat as well as you can.

Most importantly, be sure to make time for yourself every day. Self-care is crucial, whether that means taking a long bath, getting an early night, reading a book or baking a cake. Do something for you. Mental downtime is important too. Try practicing mindfulness with apps such as Headspace.

Remember that like everything else, this situation is temporary. There is lots of support available if you’re feeling particularly anxious or struggling to cope.

Keep in touch with others and try to take one day at a time, focusing on the right now, rather than worrying about the ‘what ifs.’

This article first appeared as a guest blog on Anxiety UK website

STUC warns employers over contract and health and safety breaches

The STUC has issued a stark warning to employers following complaints from workers about companies keeping open for non-essential work and pressuring employees to present for work even while business was suspended.

It warned employers that they could find themselves in implied breach of contract and face future constructive dismissal claims if judged to be endangering workers. With Government advice making clear that only essential work should continue, the burden of proof would be on the employer to prove they had acted reasonably.

The STUC also said that employers have a statutory duty to risk assess for COVID-19, as it is a ‘substance hazardous to health’, and to put in place a safe system of work.

STUC General Secretary Designate, Rozanne Foyer said: “While many employers have acted swiftly and correctly too many have not. This has caused general confusion and real alarm. Union offices across Scotland have been inundated with calls from members. Meanwhile the STUC is fielding questions by the minute from worried workers.

“Our advice to workers is clear, contact your union for support, join a union and in the meantime contact the STUC for advice. Speak to other workers and make a joint demand of the employer to present clear justification of a decision to compel you to work.

“Contact your health and safety rep if available or otherwise insist on seeing the full risk assessment your employer is obliged to undertake.”