From today, carers on Carers Support Payment will be able to earn £196 per week without losing your entitlement.
This is an increase of £45 per week, and will enable more carers to balance work and care.
Find out more: https://bit.ly/3XLCZVh
British car brands like Rolls-Royce, Vauxhall and Land Rover are being given certainty, stability and support as the Prime Minister sets out plans to back industry in the face of global economic headwinds today (7 April 2025).
The Prime Minister will say the new era of global insecurity means that the government must go further and faster reshaping our economy through the Plan for Change.
The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate will be changed to make it easier for industry to upgrade to make electric vehicles while delivering the manifesto commitment to stop sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, which will help even more British consumers access the benefits of cheap to run electric vehicles.
The package will be backed by a modern Industrial Strategy, to be published in full this spring, which will help British businesses realise the potential of industries of the future.
The changes, which reflect extensive consultation, will help the car industry by:
Support for the car industry will be kept under review as the impact of new tariffs become clear.
This package is the latest in a series of pro-growth measures that the Prime Minister is announcing to counter the impact of new global headwinds and build a strong, resilient economy with more well-paid jobs.
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: “Global trade is being transformed so we must go further and faster in reshaping our economy and our country through our Plan for Change.
“I am determined to back British brilliance. Now more than ever UK businesses and working people need a government that steps up, not stands aside.
“That means action, not words. So today I am announcing bold changes to the way we support our car industry.
“This will help ensure home-grown firms can export British cars built by British workers around the world and the industry can look forward with confidence, as well as back with pride.
“And it will boost growth that puts money in working people’s pockets, the first priority of our Plan for Change.”
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “We will always back British business. In the face of global economic challenges and stifled by a lack of certainty and direction for too long, our automotive industry deserves clarity, ambition and leadership. That is exactly what we are delivering today.
“Our ambitious package of strengthening reforms will protect and create jobs – making the UK a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs – all the while meeting our core manifesto commitment to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.
“Once again, the Prime Minister’s decisive and bold actions show how we’re on the side of British business while harnessing the opportunities of the zero emissions transition to create jobs and drive growth, securing Britain’s future, and delivering our Plan for Change.”
In recognition of the changing global trading landscape, the government has worked with the industry to both strengthen its commitment to the phase out and introduce practical reforms to support industry meet this ambition.
Demand for electric vehicles is already rising, with the latest data showing sales in March were up over 40% on last year, which will help with the transition.
There is a huge opportunity to be harnessed here – with the UK being the largest EV market in Europe. Over £6 billion of private funding is lined up to be invested in the UK’s chargepoint roll-out by 2030. Since July, the government has also seen £34.8 billion of private investment announced into UK’s clean energy industries.
The updated ZEV Mandate will ensure flexibilities support UK manufacturers by:
The wide-ranging package of measures introduced today will also exempt small and micro-volume manufacturers – supercar brands including McLaren and Aston Martin – from the 2030 phase out, preserving some of the UK car industry’s most iconic jewels for years to come.
Vans with an internal combustion engine (ICE) will also be allowed to be sold until 2035, alongside full hybrids and plug-in hybrid vans.
Employing 152,000 people and adding £19 billion to our economy, the UK’s automotive industry is a huge asset to our nation – and the transition to zero emissions is the biggest opportunity of the 21st century to attract investment, harness British innovation, and deliver growth for generations to come.
Owning and buying an EV is becoming increasingly cheaper, with drivers able to save £1,100 a year compared to petrol if they charge overnight at home. Half of used electric cars are sold at under £20,000 and 29 brand new electric cars are available from under £30,000.
The UK was also the largest EV market in Europe in 2024 and the third in the world with over 382,000 EVs sold – up a fifth on the previous year. There are now more than 75,000 public chargepoints in the UK – with one added every 29 minutes – ensuring that motorists are always a short drive from a socket.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “The world is changing but we are determined to deliver for working people, protect their jobs and put more pounds in their pockets.
“That is why we are backing British business and investing in industries of the future, including our car manufacturers.”
Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, said: “It is very important that the government has strengthened our commitment to our world leading EV transition plan.
“This plan will benefit UK consumers by expanding the market for cars that are cheaper to run. And it will support our domestic manufacturing so we can seize this global opportunity.”
Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: “This pro-business government is taking the bold action needed to give our auto sector the certainty that secures jobs, drives investment and ensures they thrive on the global stage.
“Our Industrial Strategy will back the country’s high growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, so we can grow the economy and deliver on the promises of our Plan for Change.”
We are very excited about our next BEACH CLEANING event at Granton Goes Greener.
This time, we will be working on the Brick Beach (marked as Granton Beach), which is just across the road from Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden and next to the pitt.
Thanks to our friends from R2, we will have enough rubbish picking equipment for everyone. if you have any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk
1.8 million people on Universal Credit are getting no support to find work, according to latest data.
Whilst an increase was expected, as people move from other benefits to Universal Credit, the rise has increased above expectations, with the number of people receiving the highest level of support across UC and other benefits increasing 50% since the start of the pandemic, between February 2020 and August 2024.
The government is already taking action to get people into work through its plan to get Britain working which will empower local mayors to tackle economic inactivity, overhaul Jobcentres, and deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning.
Building on the biggest employment reforms for a generation, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is due to announce radical welfare reforms to create a thriving and inclusive labour market – as part of the government’s Plan for Change to unlock work, boost growth and raise living standards.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Rt Hon. Liz Kendall MP, said: “Millions of people have been locked out of work by a failing welfare system which abandons people – when we know there are at least 200,000 people who want to work, and are crying out for the right support and a fair chance.
“This government is determined to fix the broken benefits system we inherited so it genuinely supports people, unlocks work, boosts living standards while putting the welfare bill on a more sustainable footing.”
In the current ‘dysfunctional’ system, a person is placed in binary categories of either “fit for work” or “not fit for work” through the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) – an assessment the government has said it will either reform or replace, so it no longer drives people who want to work to a life on benefits.
Through this process, those not fit for work are told they have Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) – meaning they won’t receive employment support or further engagement from the system at any point following their assessment – effectively abandoning and locking them out of work indefinitely.
The current system, in which people 25 and over on the standard rate of UC get £393.45 a month and those with a health condition get an additional £416.19, gives an incentive for people to say they can’t work – and get locked out of help and support – simply to get by financially.
Over the past five years, 67% of people on Universal Credit who have been through a WCA were considered LCWRA – a symptom of the assessment system pushing people to prove their inability to work for a more generous payout.
The Labour government says it has ‘hit the ground running’ to tackle health-related inactivity at its root, improving the country’s wellness by investing £26 billion in the NHS, delivering 2 million extra appointments to tackle medical waiting lists, and hiring an extra 8,500 mental health workers, so people get the treatment they need to stay healthy and in work.
This comes alongside the £250 million plan to get Britain working and the recently announced 1,000 Work Coaches will be redeployed to offer intensive employment support to around 65,000 sick and disabled people – a ‘downpayment’ on Labour’s plan ‘to restore fairness to our welfare system’.
Our Winter’s End Safe and Warm Partnership Conference 2025 in London brought together experts from organisations such as Age Scotland, Citizens Advice, Energy Systems Catapult, Fuel Bank Foundation, National Energy Action and Scope, who are all part of our Safe & Warm partnership network supporting vulnerable people in the communities we serve.
Experts from the energy, advice, government and charity sectors took part in panel sessions and open discussions to share the real world impact of financial cuts on the communities they’re helping and the daily challenges faced by individuals to keep their homes safe and warm, particularly during the colder months.
It was a crucial opportunity for delegates to reflect on the challenges experienced during the winter and share their insight, as well as collaborate on ways to work together in future to support vulnerable communities across SGN’s network areas in southern England and Scotland.
Together, we have so far supported 693,956 households and we expect this number to rise significantly over the coming months.
Held as a hybrid event, the conference had live interviews from key specialists streamed to the online audience, providing an opportunity for all partners to meet and discuss opportunities to collaborate with one another. We’ll be using discussions from the event to inform how we can evolve our partnership network and find new opportunities to plug gaps in support.
A key theme which emerged from the conference was the impact that cuts to benefits are having on the vulnerable people who our attendees are helping every day. Also, the value which our partner organisations create in supporting people who need extra help.
The conference opened with a keynote speech from National Energy Action Chief Executive Adam Scorer, who spoke about the need for local energy plans to be aligned with health plans in communities. He highlighted the long-term commitment of partners to our Safe & Warm network that enables organisations to provide enduring support.
Some of the key highlights from attendees included:
Maureen McIntosh, Director of Customer Service at SGN, explained how hosting the conference is part of SGN’s work to bring partners together to support vulnerable customers to use energy safely, efficiently and affordably.
She said: “We really appreciate how many people took the time to attend and take part in our Winter’s End partners conference. It highlights the importance of working together as we face the challenges that winter brings to communities across the UK.
For more information on how SGN partners with other organisations to support vulnerable households, visit https://www.sgn.co.uk/about-us/supporting-vulnerable-households
The UK Government has announced a package of up to £10 million support to help the people of Myanmar following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s central region on Friday.
This UK funding will increase support in the hardest hit areas of the earthquake and geared towards food and water supplies, medicine, and shelter.
Baroness Chapman, Minister of State for Development, said: “The UK is sending immediate and life-saving support to the people of Myanmar following the devastating earthquake.
“UK-funded local partners are already mobilising a humanitarian response on the ground, and this £10m package will bolster their efforts.
“I offer my deepest sympathies to the people of Myanmar after this tragic event.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is offering support to British nationals in both Myanmar and Thailand following the earthquake.
British nationals in Myanmar who require consular assistance can call British Embassy Yangon on +95 (01) 370 863/4/5/7.
British Nationals who require consular assistance in Thailand can call British Embassy Bangkok on +66 (0) 2 305 8333.
Anyone in the UK and concerned about a British national in Myanmar or Thailand you can contact the FCDO on +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
Crippling energy price rises has seen costs at the Home soar and funds are desperately needed to enable the cattery roof to be replaced
The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home has today launched a crowdfunder to raise vital funds to replace their cattery roof which is in great need of repair. Rising energy prices has seen costs at the Home rocket and so they hope to install solar panels on their new roof which will make a saving of over £2,600 in energy costs every year.
The cattery roof is in urgent need of repair and the team at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home hope to raise nearly £13,000 to fund a new one and install solar panels. Currently the outdoor section of the cat pen has a mesh area through which bird poo can fall, which is incredibly dangerous to the cats, putting them at risk of giardia infection.
The new roof will be solid to keep the cats safe, preventing bird droppings from falling through, which previously required a great deal of time to clean. The improvement means the cats will now have year-round access to the outdoor cattery.
Solar Panels on the new roof would effectively cover the electricity to the Home’s entire cattery and clinic, creating a more sustainable future for the Home and for the environment. With solar panels installed, over five years the Home would save £13,070 – enough to vaccinate 1,378 cats.
Many of the Home’s resident cats, like Mickey who had spent about 6 months with them, enjoyed spending time outside whatever the weather. Mickey loved to sit in his outdoor area, hoping that passing team members would stop to say hi to him (of course, they always would!) The outdoor pens provide important stimulation and enrichment for cats like Mickey, but at the moment they can’t be used year-round due to infection concerns.
Lindsay Fyffe Jardine, CEO of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: “Repairing the roof and installing the solar panels above this section of the cattery will provide much needed shelter and create a safer play area for the cats in our care.
“Not only will we benefit from much needed energy savings, we’ll also improve our carbon footprint. Installing these solar panels means that two tons of CO2 emissions will be avoided every year. Over the panels’ lifetime, this is the equivalent of 69,690 car kms avoided, 50 long haul flights avoided, or planting 448 trees.
“Installing solar panels will not only give essential cover to our cattery, but will generate enough green energy for all the electricity in our cattery and our clinic.
“The welfare of the animals in our care is always at the forefront of our operations. Operating sustainably is essential in our ability to continue to deliver on our mission.”
To make a donation to the Cattery Crowdfunder please visit:
For Debt Awareness Week, we’re highlighting how debt affects mental health – and the support that is available to help.
Throughout the cost-of-living-crisis many people have had to turn to lenders and may be struggling to keep up with their repayments. The mental health toll can be really challenging, with increased feelings of anxiety keeping you up at night or making it harder to enjoy your relationships. It can make existing mental health problems like depression worse and all together, feel overwhelming.
The mental health effects of debt can make navigating it an even more isolating and lonely experience. It’s important to remember that you are not alone, and that there is support available to you.
Want to know more? Join us for our Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ 26-28 March r/ukpersonalfinance. We’ll be joined by StepChange to answer all your questions on mental health and debt.
GRANTON INFORMATION CENTRE: FEEDBACK SURVEY
There is only one week remaining to compete our 24/25 client feedback survey. If you have used our service since April 2024, and haven’t already done so, please take a couple of minutes to complete our questionnaire:
https://surveymonkey.com/r/PMNGTBR
Thank you!
Around 150 additional community toilet facilities for people with complex disabilities and health conditions will be created across the country thanks to £10 million Scottish Government funding over the next two years.
There are currently around 270 of the specially equipped facilities, known as Changing Places Toilets, in Scotland. This is an increase of 30% since 2019 when new legislation required these spaces to be included in large new buildings with public access.
Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Minister Maree Todd said: “Access to toilet facilities is a fundamental human right. “This £10 million investment in Changing Places Toilets will make a huge difference to thousands of disabled people and their families and carers as it will enable them to participate fully in society and access community resources – things which most of us take for granted.
“The Fund will be open to all communities in Scotland and will prioritise areas which do not currently have adequate provision.
“Support from local bodies has been, and will continue to be, central to driving this work forward, and we look forward to receiving applications from all over Scotland when the Fund opens in the summer.”
Jill Clark, a Glasgow-based Changing Places Toilets user said: “It is really important to have changing places toilets across Scotland because it lets people like myself lead a normal life without worrying about getting access to a toilet everywhere we go!”
PAMIS (Promoting a more inclusive society) CEO Jenny Miller said: ““PAMIS is delighted that this fund is progressing.
“It is vital that we ensure that those who need this life changing resource and those who are keen to develop inclusive venues and services are involved in shaping the fund.
“Your insights are key, and we know that for the community PAMIS supports, those with a profound learning and multiple disabilities, the fund will make a huge difference to their inclusion within communities across Scotland.”
Thousands of single parents are being offered a helping hand on National Single Parents Day (21 March), thanks to a link-up between One Parent Families Scotland and Social Security Scotland.
While 25% of children in Scotland live in poverty, the figure is much higher, 40%, for children in single parent families. A quarter of all the families with dependent children are single parent households.
Working together as part of One Parent Families Scotland’s “Single Parent Community” Campaign, both organisations are working to highlight the support that is available to eligible parents and carers. including Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and Best Start Grant.
Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Foods and the Best Start Grant aim to give children the best start in life. They offer financial support to families, both in and out of work, who receive certain benefits and tax credits.
Best Start Grant consists of three payments designed to provide support at key stages in a child’s life: Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment and School Age Payment.
Scottish Child Payment, unique to Scotland, is payable to eligible families in receipt of Universal Credit or certain other qualifying reserved benefits, for children aged under-16. Unlike the UK Government there is no limit to the number of children a family can receive the payment for
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “All parents know that bringing up children can be hard work – and doing so as a single parent household can be even more so. So I’m proud of the support that the Scottish Government offers single parent families.
“A report from the Fraser of Allander Institute, about health inequalities in Scotland, highlighted that single parents are much more likely to experience food insecurity than other household types. In stark terms food insecurity is when a person doesn’t have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious, healthy food.
“That is why the support the Scottish Government provides is so crucial, especially for single parent families. Since it was introduced in August 2019, £65.6million has been paid in Best Start Foods to provide exactly the nutritious, healthy food children need.
“And over £1 billion worth of Scottish Child payments have been issued by 31 December 2024; putting money directly into the pockets of those families who need it most.”
Chief Executive of OPFS, Satwat Rehman said: “For too many single parents, the challenge of making ends meet is a daily struggle.
“With 38% of children in single parent families living in poverty, financial support like Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grants can be life-changing.
These payments put money directly into the hands of families who need it most, helping to ease the pressure of rising costs and ensuring children have the essentials they deserve.
“One Parent Families Scotland is proud to work alongside Social Security Scotland to make sure single parents know about and can access the support they are entitled to.
Case Study
Sarah, a single mum of two, had been struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. Every week, she worried about how she would stretch her budget to cover food, bills, and other essentials. When she reached out to One Parent Families Scotland Glasgow, she had no idea she was missing out on vital support.
During a benefit check with a One Parent Families Scotland adviser, Sarah discovered she was entitled to the Best Start Foods card—and even more incredibly, it had over £650 in unclaimed credit waiting for her.
“I was completely shocked! I had no idea that money was there. I kept thinking about all the times I had struggled to afford the basics and worried about how I’d manage. If I’d known about this sooner, it could have saved me so much stress. It’s a massive help and has given me some much-needed breathing space.
“This has made such a huge difference to my life. Instead of panicking at the checkout or having to put things back, I can actually do a proper food shop. I can buy the things my kids like and need without feeling guilty or stressed about every penny. It’s lifted such a weight off my shoulders.”
Support from One Parent Families Scotland, has not only allowed Sarah to access the financial support she was entitled to but also to gain peace of mind knowing she has extra help when she needs it.
