Tag: information

Scots with disabilities & health conditions urged to apply for £5,740 from tomorrow

Scots with disabilities and health conditions are being urged to check if they’re eligible for financial support worth up to £5,740 a year. The advice comes from the UK’s largest community of unpaid carers ahead of the benefit being made available across Scotland next week.

Pension Age Disability Payment – a benefit aimed at helping disabled people above retirement age cover care costs –  is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland, with applications opening nationwide tomorrow – Tuesday 22nd April.

Pension Age Disability Payment rates also increased this month, but Scots are at risk of missing out.

Whilst those already claiming Attendance Allowance will automatically be transferred to the new support, an estimated 1 million people are missing out on the outgoing benefit. This puts Scots amongst this group at risk of losing out on Pension Age Disability Payment, too. 

The care experts at Mobilise aim to raise awareness of the disability benefit and the difference it could make for Scots missing out, if they check they are eligible and apply. 

What is the Pension Age Disability Payment?

Almost half (45%) of people above retirement age in the UK have some form of disability. Pension Age Disability Payment aims to help these individuals cover the cost of care.

The monthly payment is split into two rates, depending on the level of care which is required. Both rates increased on 7th April:

  • The lower rate (for those who require either day or night care) increased from £72.65 to £73.90 a week – £3,842.80 a year, in total
  • The higher rate (for those who require both day and night care, and those who are terminally ill) increased from £108.55 to £110.40 a week – £5,740.80 a year, in total

Who is eligible for Pension Age Disability Payment? 

To be eligible for Pension Age Disability Payments, you must meet certain criteria, including:

  • Be of state pension age (66) or over
  • Have a disability or health condition (you can still apply if you’re waiting for, or do not have, a diagnosis)
  • Have required care for at least six months (you can also apply before this point, as payments will begin six months from when successful applicants’ care needs started)

If you live in a care home and your care is funded by the local authority, you are unlikely to be eligible. However, if your care is privately funded, you may still apply. 

How to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment

From 22nd April, anyone who believes they are eligible for Pension Age Disability Payment can apply – either online using myaccount or via the post. Postal applications can be started by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222. There is a separate fast-track application process for those who are terminally ill.

If you already receive Attendance Allowance you do not need to apply as you will automatically be moved to Pension Age Disability Payments.

There are two parts to the application form. You will need certain information to hand to complete each part and must submit these within 2 weeks and 8 weeks respectively, or contact Social Security Scotland if you need more time.

Details about the information required is available here. A loved one or carer can also help you complete the application form.

What support is available for carers?

It’s not just people that need care who are eligible for support. If you look after a loved one, you could also be entitled to help from the Government.

Carer Support Payment is the main benefit available to carers living in Scotland, and comes in the form of monthly payments. As with Pension Age Disability Payments, the rate increased this month. From April, Carer Support Payments are rising from £81.90 to £83.30 a week – £4331.60 a year, in total.

To be eligible for Carer Support Payment, you must meet a number of requirements. You can check if you’re eligible using Mobilise’s free claim checker tool. If you’re entitled to Carer Support Payment, you can apply online, by phone, by post, or in-person. See the Scottish Government’s website for full details.

For more guidance on the financial support available to people with care needs and unpaid carers, care experts are on hand to help via the Mobilise website.

Independent Age: Pension Credit

Pension Credit can top up your income to a minimum level if you’ve reached State Pension age. Lots of people who qualify for it aren’t claiming it, so it’s worth checking if you can get it.

Who can claim Pension Credit?

To qualify for Pension Credit, you must have reached State Pension age. Use the Gov.uk online tool to check when you’ll reach State Pension age.

There are two types of Pension Credit:

  • Guarantee Credit
  • Savings Credit.

To qualify for Guarantee Credit, your weekly income will need to be less than the minimum amount the government says you need to live on. For 2025/26, this is £227.10 for a single person and £346.60 for a couple. This amount could be higher if you’re disabled, a carer, are responsible for children or have certain housing costs.

You can only get Savings Credit if:

  • you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, or you have a partner who reached State Pension age before this date and was already getting it
  • and you have qualifying income of at least £198.27 a week for a single person and £314.34 a week for a couple.

Read our factsheet Pension Credit for more information.

Use our free benefits calculator to work out if you might be able to get Pension Credit. You can also call our free Helpline on 0800 319 6789 to speak to an adviser.

How much can you get?

Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to:

  • £227.10 for a single person
  • £346.60 for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or living together).

You might be able to get more than this if you’re disabled, a carer, are responsible for children or you have certain housing costs. See our factsheet Pension Credit for more information.

Savings Credit can give you up to:

  • £17.30 a week for a single person
  • £19.36 a week for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or living together).

The exact amount you’ll get depends on your income.

Savings, investments or other capital of more than £10,000 will also affect how much you get. For every £500 (or part of £500) you have over £10,000, it’s assumed you have an extra £1 of weekly income.

Here’s an example:

Mr Smith is 76 years old. He is not a carer and he has no health conditions or personal care needs. He is single, rents his home and has a State Pension of £140.18 a week and an occupational pension of £25 a week. He also has savings of £11,000. The first £10,000 are ignored, and an extra £1 of income is counted for every £500 above this. This means he has an assumed income from savings of £2 a week. So, his income is calculated as:

  • £140.18 State Pension + £25.00 occupational pension + £2.00 assumed income = £167.18 total income
  • Mr Smith’s appropriate minimum guarantee is £227.10
  • £227.10 appropriate minimum guarantee – £167.18 income = £59.92

This gives him Guarantee Credit of £59.92 a week.

Other entitlements if you get Pension Credit

If you get Pension Credit, you may qualify for other benefits, including:

If you’re 75 or over, you can also apply for a free TV licence.

How to claim Pension Credit

To apply for Pension Credit, call the claim line on 0800 99 1234. You can also claim online if you’ve already applied for your State Pension. Or you can download an application form to print out. You won’t need a stamp when you return your form.

You can apply for Pension Credit up to four months before you reach State Pension age, and any time after. Claims for Pension Credit can be backdated by up to three months if you qualified for it for the whole of that period. 

When you claim, you’ll need the following information:

  • your National Insurance number
  • information about your income, including your pensions
  • details of your savings, investments and other capital
  • your bank account details.

If you have a partner, you’ll need the same details for them too.

If you need support to fill in the form, one of our advisers can help you complete it over the phone. Call our Helpline on 0800 319 6789. Or you could get help from your local Citizens Advice. Search the Citizens Advice website for England and Wales or visit Citizens Advice Scotland to find your nearest branch.

Rules for mixed-age couples

You cannot usually make a new claim for Pension Credit if you live with a partner who is under State Pension age unless:

  1. one of you reached State Pension age before 15 May 2019, and
  2. one of you has been claiming pension age Housing Benefit since 15 May 2019 as part of the same couple. 

If you cannot claim Pension Credit, you may be able to claim Universal Credit instead, until you both reach State Pension age.

Contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 for more information. 

Community Hub morning at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

FRIDAY 21st FEBRUARY from 10am – 12.30pm

Need advice, support, or just a friendly chat? Drop into our Community Hub Morning this Friday 10am – 12:30pm for a cuppa and connect with local organisations that can help.

Meet experts from:

✅Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) – money, benefits & housing advice

✅ Manor Estates & Tenants Federation – tenant support & housing help

✅ Community Police – safety & local issues

✅ Energy Advice & Home Energy Scotland – energy-saving tips

…and more!

You can also find out about how you can support your local community by becoming a Community Councillor.

Community Council recruitment is underway across the capital and Drylaw Telford’s returning officer Cllr Vicky Nicholson – who was a member of the local community council before becoming a city councillor – will be available to provide information and answer your questions

No appointments needed – just drop in! Come along, bring a friend, and let’s build a stronger community together!

Social Security Scotland: Carer Support Payment information

As of 4 November, Carer Support Payment is available in every local authority area in Scotland. We introduced the payment in phases from November 2023 and are delighted it is now available across Scotland.  

Carer Support Payment is money to help unpaid carers providing 35 or more hours of care a week to someone who gets disability benefits. The payment is £81.90 per week. 

Carers in Scotland who already get Carer’s Allowance will have their benefits automatically transferred to Carer Support Payment with no gap in entitlement. Social Security Scotland will write to people in advance to let them know that their award will be moving. 

We are planning an awareness-raising campaign in early 2025 to support take-up of the benefit . 
 
More information on eligibility and how to apply is available at mygov.scot/carer-support-payment.  

Free stakeholder resources are available on our website to share with your networks and help us promote the payment to people who may be eligible. Please download them and share across your networks and channels. 

Carer-Support-Payment-PosterDownload

The next Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment of £288.60 will be paid on Friday 6 December to eligible carers who were paid Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 7 October 2024. 

We will write to eligible carers in advance, so they know when to expect the payment. If carers have not received the payment or heard from us by 16 December 2024, they should call us free on 0800 182 2222. 

 More information is available on our website. 

Carer-Support-Payment-factsheet-Oct-2024Download

Granton Information Centre: Benefits Awareness session in Clermiston

Join us on Halloween for our FREE Benefits Awareness Workshop!

THURSDAY 31st OCTOBER from 10am – 12 noon

at Clermiston Church of the Nazarene, Rannoch Terrace

People Know How partners with BT to raise awareness of the switch to digital landlines

People Know How has partnered with BT Group to provide people with the information they need to prepare for the upcoming switch to digital landlines.

Their Digital Support Helpline, which is free and open to anyone in Scotland who needs help with computers, laptops, tablets, social media, exploring the web and more, is now also taking calls about the switch to digital landlines.

Call free Monday to Friday, 10am – 4pm for advice and information about the switch. Alongside this, People Know How is facilitating 50 events in rural areas of Scotland to ensure that everyone can access this information.

Contact the free Digital Support Helpline at 0800 0590 690 or read more at: 

https://peopleknowhow.org/news/people-know-how-partners-with-bt

Are YOU losing out on Pension Credit?

SUPPORT and ADVICE from GRANTON INFORMATION CENTRE

THE Scottish Government has confirmed it will no longer provide Winter Fuel Payments to all pensioners in Scotland. Replicating the recent decision announced by the UK Government, Winter Fuel Payments will now be means-tested, which means only individuals in receipt of Pension Credit and certain other benefits will receive it.

Because Pension Credit is a ‘gateway benefit’, which opens up access to other support including Winter Fuel Payments, it is now more crucial than ever that individuals claim Pension Credit so that they don’t miss out on additional money they are entitled to.

If you’ve reached State Pension age, you can claim Pension Credit if your weekly income is less than:

£218.15 if you’re single

£332.95 if you’re a couple.

Even if your weekly income is higher than these thresholds, you could still claim Guarantee Credit if you meet one of the following criteria:

*you’re a carer

*you have a severe disability

*you have certain housing costs, such as service charges

*you’re responsible for a child or young person who usually lives with you.

If you have £10,000 or less in savings and investments this will not affect your Pension Credit. If you have more than £10,000, every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week.

MANY, MANY, ELIGIBLE PENSIONERS ARE MISSING OUT ON PENSION CREDIT!

To claim Pension Credit, you can either:

*claim online on GOV.UK (if you already claim State Pension and there aren’t any children or young people included in your claim)

*call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 and they can fill in the application for you over the phone (lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm).

To discuss your benefit entitlements and to find out what you can claim, get in touch with us at Granton Information Centre.

Our Welfare Rights Advisers are here to help!

Call 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458 or email info@gic.org.uk

Sun shines on R2 Garden Party

More than fifty people representing community organisations from across North Edinburgh attended the ‘Garden Party’ held by R2 at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre on Tuesday.

The networking and information event, which was also attended by politicians Ben MacPherson MSP and new MP Tracy Gilbert, was a great success and initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

R2 Coordinator Anita Aggarwal said: “We were more than 50 people and it sounded like there was lots of good chat. 

“Thanks again to everyone who contributed, particularly the team at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre, Jed for the tunes and Scran for tasty food.  You can see the lovely picture of us all here Facebook

“I also collected a lot of information about what you want from and can offer to R2.  I’ve attached what I have heard so far.

“If you weren’t at the meeting yesterday (or have thought of something else) you can still feedback your thoughts on R2 by completing this short form:

https://forms.office.com/e/V9cabAA4ye

“And one more request for information: I’m trying to build a better sense of what organisations have to offer, so please, if you haven’t already, could you also complete this little table for your organisation – you’ll see some examples in the notes attached.

OrganisationStrengths of my organisation that I could shareStuff that my organisation has that I could lend
Eg  R2Knowledge of organisations in north EdinburghFund raising experienceUnderstanding and experience of Community Development and Participatory Action ResearchPost it notes

“Please respond by end of Monday 26 August.

“I’ll use what you tell me to inform the workplan for R2 for the next few months.”

You can contact Anita at hello@r2northed.org.uk

DAVE P. writes: I had the pleasure of hosting a session where local projects were offered a five-minute opportunity to talk about their activities and share what they are up to with others.

North Edinburgh has a wealth of amazing organisations supporting our community and it was fantastic to learn what is being achieved across the area, despite the many challenges faced by North Edinburgh’s third sector groups.

Many thanks, then, to Adele (North Edinburgh Community Festival), Sarah (NEDAC), Jed (Tinderbox), John (Community Renewal), Lynn and Rebecca (North Edinburgh Childcare), Billy (Royston Wardieburn Community Centre), Anna (Granton Goes Greener), Holly (National Galleries Scotland), Tom (Pianodrome), Debbie (Muirhouse Housing Association) and city council engagement officer Elaine Lennon for your positive contributions!

You can contact Anita at hello@r2northed.org.uk

240806 notesDownload

Advice for residents on returning postal votes or applying for a new proxy vote

The city council is issuing guidance so everyone is able to cast their vote in the General Election on 4 July.

If you applied for a postal vote by 7 June, then this has been posted out and should arrive soon if you haven’t already received it. If you applied for one between 8-19 June it will be sent out by this weekend. Further information can be found on our website.

Please fill your postal vote in as soon as possible once you receive it and post it back to us.

When filling out your postal vote if you’ve separated the statement from envelope A this isn’t an issue, please just send everything back. Don’t worry about using blue ink. 

If you need a proxy vote, where someone votes on your behalf, the deadline for new applications is tomorrow (26 June) at 5pm. Guidance on proxy votes is available on our website.  

If you are going to vote in person, this is the first UK General Election where voters must show a form of photo identification (ID) to cast their ballot.

A list of approved forms of ID and information on how to obtain a free Voter Authority Certificate are also available on the website.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to vote in the 2024 General Election is also tomorrow (26 June) at 5pm.

The Council’s website has a full list of candidates standing in Edinburgh’s five parliamentary constituencies.

Edinburgh set to be ‘enchanted’ by Taylor Swift

With just over a week to go until global pop superstar Taylor Swift arrives in Edinburgh, the city council has released advice for residents, businesses and visitors.

The three sold out shows taking place at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Friday 7, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June will go down as some of the most significant performances ever seen here in Scotland’s capital city.

To ensure our city maintains its vibrancy we will be ensuring the key areas surrounding Murrayfield will be tidied up all three nights after each show. We will also be dedicating extra litter collectors at Roseburn Park from 4pm – 1am daily.

We request that you only travel to Murrayfield and the surrounding area if you have a ticket.

There will be a number of Council Marshalls on hand to assist Swifities navigate the area.

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “As we get ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of Swifties to our vibrant city, we are eager for everyone to have an enjoyable experience, not only at the show, but on their way before and after.

“Whilst we relish hosting the biggest and best events and want everyone attending to truly enjoy themselves, it’s important that we’re conscious of our residents.

“We ask that visitors are considerate and respectful of them whilst enjoying our fantastic capital city. These concerts are just the start of an amazing summer of events and culture here in Edinburgh.”

To find out more, and for helpful information in the lead-up to the concerts visit our dedicated Taylor Swift webpage.

Please also check the dedicated webpage of the Scottish Rugby Union with detailed advice for attendees.