NEW GUIDE LAUNCHED AHEAD OF LONELINESS AWARENESS WEEK
Ahead of #LonelinessAwarenessWeek, we’re launching a brand new loneliness guide resource, explaining some of the common causes of loneliness and providing practical advice about building more, and more fulfilling, social connection.
Get your copy today:
The latest version of Ready, Steady, Baby! is now available.
Everyone who is pregnant and lives in Scotland will receive a free printed copy from their midwife (also available in other formats and languages). It’s also available on NHS inform.
WEDNESDAY 28 MAY from 10am – 12 noon at ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE
Housing information drop in this Wednesday at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre from 10am-12noon 
Staff/advisors are coming from:
City of Edinburgh Council Housing
RIGHT THERE
Grab a cuppa and get some advice!
WEDNESDAY 28th MAY from 10am – 12pm
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:
Who is eligible for Pension Age Disability Payment?
To be eligible for Pension Age Disability Payments, you must meet certain criteria, including:
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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
