Tag: support

Over £4,900 a year for student carers

Extra money available to many in education

Carers in full and part-time education could be entitled to over £4,900 a year in financial support from Social Security Scotland.  

It is estimated that there are over 30,000 students at college or university in Scotland providing unpaid care for a family member, friend or neighbour. Research from Carers Trust Scotland shows student carers are four times more likely to drop out of their studies with a key reason being financial struggles.  

Together, Carer Support Payment and Carer’s Allowance Supplement could provide over £4,900 a year to unpaid carers. 

Carer Support Payment replaces Carer’s Allowance in Scotland, which was delivered by the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Unlike its predecessor, Carer Support Payment is available to many student carers in full-time education.   

Carer’s Allowance Supplement, only available in Scotland, is paid twice a year to people receiving Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance. 
 
Students aged 16, 17 or 18 may be able to get Young Carer Grant if they aren’t eligible for Carer Support Payment. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1902349322710081935

Speaking to student carers and staff at Edinburgh College yesterday (Wednesday 19 March), Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “We worked with carers and support organisations in designing Carer Support Payment to ensure it worked better for the people who receive it. Extending Carer Support Payment to more carers in education is an example of doing just that. 

“I recognise the challenges many students face juggling their studies with caring responsibilities and hope the increased support available provides additional financial security and helps them to complete their course.”  

https://twitter.com/i/status/1902349322710081935

Anna Vogt, Assistant Principal Student Experience at Edinburgh College said: “We are committed to supporting our student carers to be able to come to Edinburgh College and achieve their educational ambitions.

“We do this by individualising support for carers, engaging with carer organisations in our region and by designing systems that acknowledge our students have responsibilities and communities outside of college. 

“Colleges change lives and we are pleased that this new benefit will support more carers to think about becoming a student at any institution across Scotland.” 

Josh, a student at Edinburgh College, added: “The support from Edinburgh College has made a real difference to me and is very different from the support I received at school. It has been particularly helpful to be linked up with my local carer’s association – I didn’t know about them. Now I know about this new benefit, I’m going to explore a bit more about it.” 

The £4,900 a year calculation is based on a carer receiving a full year entitlement for Carer Support Payment (52 weeks) and Carer’s Allowance Supplement (a payment in June and then in December) at the 2025-26 rates coming into effect from 1 April 2025.      

Carers Trust Scotland works to transform the lives of unpaid carers. They estimate there are more than 30,000 students with caring responsibilities in Scotland. Student research report https://carers.org/downloads/resources-pdfs/young-adult-carers-at-college-and-university.pdf  

Carers Scotland calls for urgent action to tackle Scotland’s growing mental health crisis for unpaid carers

State of Caring in Scotland 2024: Health and social care support for unpaid carers

  • 36% of unpaid carers reported their mental health as ‘bad or very bad’– a 29% increase in 12 months.  
  • 65% stated they need more support with their health and wellbeing.  
  • 56% often or always feel overwhelmed by their caring role. 
  • 59% said that support services were not there when they needed them. 
  • 80% have been unable to take a break because of a lack of support from social services. 

There is a growing mental health crisis in Scotland’s unpaid carer population – this is the message from Carers Scotland in ‘State of Caring in Scotland 2024: Health and social care support for unpaid carers’.

This new research, based on a survey of over 1,700 unpaid carers in Scotland, saw a 29% increase in the last 12 months of the number of unpaid carers who reported their mental health as “bad or very bad” – 36% of respondents in 2024, compared to 28% in 2023.  

This statistic was even more severe when a carer reported struggling financially, with 59% of carers who are struggling to make ends meet saying they had “bad or very bad” mental health. 28% of respondents also rated their physical health as “bad or very bad”, with this number rising to 49% among carers struggling to make ends meet. 

80% of unpaid carers from the research stated that the main challenge they will face over the next year is the impact of caring on their physical and/or mental health. 

These new findings show that unpaid carers are not receiving the support they need to maintain their health and wellbeing whilst managing their caring responsibilities. More support with health and wellbeing was the number one need cited by unpaid carers in the research, with long waiting times for appointments, inflexible GP appointment systems, and insufficient replacement care all highlighted as barriers to support. 

Another challenge is the inability of many unpaid carers to take a physical and mental break from their caring role. Taking a break from caring is essential for carers to recharge, spend time with family and friends, and engage with their own hobbies and interests to improve their wellbeing. However, 63% of carers who stated in the research that they felt overwhelmed in their caring role said that this was due to them not having a break from caring. 

Richard Meade from Carers Scotland said: “Unpaid carers in Scotland are in a mental and physical health crisis, which only threatens to get worse without immediate action. 

“Unpaid carers continue to bear the weight of an overstretched health and social care system as they are increasingly expected to fill the growing gaps in service provision without increased support for themselves.

“Whilst the Scottish Government has focused on reducing NHS waiting lists, improving hospital discharge delays and access to essential health services there still remains an urgent need for investment in social care and support for unpaid carers.

“Unpaid carers provide the equivalent of £15.9bn in health and social care support and without them the system would collapse, yet they receive a fraction of the support they need.  

“The stalled National Care Service provided hope for many unpaid carers that things could change. However, many feel their needs have been lost to a wider political debate and little has changed to improve their lives.  

“The Scottish Government, the NHS, and local councils must act now to ensure that carers can access the support they need to continue to care without such devastating consequences to their physical and mental health.” 

The monetary value of the contribution of unpaid carers in Scotland estimated at £15.9 billion(1) a year. Despite this, unpaid carers face deteriorating physical and mental health, loneliness and isolation, with too many driven to despair and unable to access to the supports they need to maintain a healthy life. 

Carers Scotland has included a range of recommendations alongside this research for the Scottish Government, NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to ensure all unpaid carers get the support they need to look after their health and wellbeing and receive the right help for caring. 

Download and read the report in full at the link below:

state-of-caring-health-and-social-care-2024Download

Improving communities’ mental wellbeing

£30 million for grassroots projects for adults

Community-led mental health and wellbeing projects are to benefit from £30 million Scottish Government funding over the next two years.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults – first launched in 2021 – supports local groups to deliver programmes for adults which build resilience and tackle social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities. It is expected the Fund will open to applications this Autumn.

In the first three years around 4,800 grants were made to a wide range of grassroots community projects focused on connecting people and providing peer support through activities such as sport, outdoor activities, and the arts.

The charity, Empower Women for Change, has secured grant awards in all rounds of the Fund to date. This year, the group is using its grant to support lone parents, families with a disabled family member, Minority Ethnic families, and young mothers.

Visiting their office in Glasgow Mental Wellbeing Minister Maree Todd said: “I am pleased to meet staff and service users at Empower Women for Change and hear more about the valuable work they do in the community they support. It is inspiring to see first-hand the impact that this funding can have.

“Since the fund was established, we have invested £66 million, reaching a variety of groups supporting those at increased risk of poor mental health and wellbeing – including people facing socio-economic disadvantage, older people and ethnic minority communities.

“I look forward to seeing the positive impact that this further £30 million investment will make to the wellbeing of people and communities across Scotland.”

Empower Women for Change CEO and Founder Asma Abdalla said: “We are delighted and honoured to welcome the Minister Maree Todd to our organisation. The Wellbeing Fund has played a transformative role in improving the lives of our service users of ethnic minority women and girls and our volunteers, members, and staff.

“Through our Inspired Women projects, we have provided vital mental health support, resilience, and community connection, changing lives and strengthening communities. We are looking forward to continuing this work, with support from the Wellbeing Fund.

“We welcome this unique opportunity to share Inspired Women participants’ testimonies, their voices highlight the urgent need for sustained investment in grassroots wellbeing services. Please join us in amplifying their stories and celebrating the power of community-led change.”

Partnership Manager at Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector Sheena Arthur said: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government’s Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is continuing. This fund delivers small grants which make a positive difference and so far, has supported over 900 Third Sector organisations and community groups across Glasgow.

“In increasingly challenging times, the Third Sector plays a crucial role. This fund enables the development of existing projects as well as emerging ideas from the community. It helps to bring people together- contributing to better health and wellbeing of people and families, strengthening social connections and tackling inequality and poverty.”

Within the first three years, the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults has provided around 4,800 grants to community organisations delivering mental health and wellbeing support.

DWP: Almost two million people on Universal Credit not supported to look for work

Number of people on the highest rate of Universal Credit with no support to look for work has almost quadrupled since the Covid pandemic

  • Figures show 1.8 million people now in Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) category as broken Work Capability Assessment continues to push people out of work
  • New figures emerge ahead of proposals to reform health and disability benefits and builds on the plan to get Britain working

1.8 million people on Universal Credit are getting no support to find work, according to new data released yesterday (Thursday 13 March).

The number has almost quadrupled since the start of the pandemic when 360,000 people were considered too sick to look for work – a 383% rise in less than five years. In the last year alone, the number has risen by from 1.4 million people to 1.8 million. 

The number of young people aged 16 to 24 on LCWRA has risen by 249% from 46,000 to 160,000 since the pandemic – demonstrating a worrying increase in the number people becoming trapped in inactivity early in life, with almost one million young people not in education, employment, or training.

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, 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 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 our plan to restore fairness to our welfare system.

Scottish Community Councils launch new Cost of Living Hub

COST OF LIVING CRISIS – HELPFUL INFO TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY

Looking for information on how you can support your community during the #CostOfLiving crisis?

Don’t miss the Cost Of Living Hub for Community Councils which is packed with local and national resources:

https://www.communitycouncils.scot/…/cost-of-living-hub…

Edinburgh School Uniform Bank welcomes support from Heriots

Junior school Children at @george_heriots_school once again chose ESUB to benefit from their Non-Uniform Day fundraiser which went ahead on Friday 7th February.

They raised an incredible £656.50 which will go a long way to support our work around Edinburgh.

⭐Thank you all so much for your continued support⭐

#edinburghschooluniformbank

#uniformbank

#collaboration

#youngpeople

#schooluniform

#fundraiser

Scottish Government: Delivering free school meals

Proposed regulations to support next phase of rollout

Families could get quicker access to free school meals under proposed new regulations laid at Holyrood.

If agreed by MSPs, the regulations would see Social Security Scotland given new powers, allowing them to share Scottish Child Payment data with local authorities. This would allow councils to ensure eligible pupils receive their free school meals.

The latest phase of the free school meals programme will include all pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment in Primaries 6 to 7 and S1-S3 in eight local authority areas.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Free school meals are a crucial element of the Scottish Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty, and the provision is currently available to over 273,000 pupils across Scotland, saving families who take up the offer around £400 per child per year.

“The next phase of the rollout will significantly build upon this, with an additional 25,000 pupils being able to benefit from this vital provision. Through further support for data sharing, local authorities will be able to more quickly identify those eligible for this next phase.

“That is why we have proposed these changes to streamline the process to help more families and remove any administrative burden for local authorities. I would encourage members of the Committee to back these proposals to ensure more families can easily access the support they need.”

Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee will vote on the regulations on Wednesday 2 April. If approved, they will come into effect from 19 May 2025.

Care Home ‘proud’ to be pit stop for Emergency Services

Barchester’s Strachan House care home in Edinburgh is proud to provide a much-needed pit stop for all local emergency services. 

At any time of the day or night, hard-working emergency workers can call into the care home to get a hot or cold drink and a tasty bite to eat either to have at the home or to take away with them if time is tight. 

Everyone at Strachan House is delighted to be able to offer this service to our wonderful emergency crews to thank them for all that they do.

When crews come to Strachan House, they are always so glad of a drink and a rest if there is time so staff and residents decided to extend this offer to all emergency teams in the area and they want to spread the word that all blue light staff are always welcome to stop in for a rest and some refreshment. 

The home has prepared snack bags to keep on hand should a crew have no time to rest and just need to grab a bag and go. 

Frances Fisher, General Manager for Strachan House, said: “We all know how hard our emergency services work and how much we rely on them. 

“We wanted to say thank you for all that they do to protect and support us and this is our way of giving back.  We want our local emergency services to know they are always welcome here at Strachan House”.

Strachan House is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering high-quality care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides nursing care and specialist dementia care.
For more information, please contact StrachanHousee@Barchester.com

More than half of young carers aren’t getting the breaks they need, alarming survey finds

Young carers take open top bus to Westminster on Young Carers Action Day to call on MPs and decision-makers for more support

  • Almost a quarter of young carers say no one else can provide the care they do
  • Two-fifths worry too much about the person they care for to take a break
  • 72% miss out on the school holidays, nearly half miss out on friendships and almost one in five say they’re missing time out of their education

More than half of young carers can’t get a regular break from caring, while almost a quarter say there’s no one else to provide the care they do, an alarming survey has found.

The findings have been released by Carers Trust for Young Carers Action Day on 12 March. The time young carers spend on their caring role mean young carers often miss out on education, friendships, holidays and many other things their classmates take for granted, the survey showed.

The survey of 423 young and young adult carers found nearly one in five rarely or never get a break (17%), while 40% said they got one only some of the time. Just 15% said they could take a break whenever they wanted.

Asked what stopped them getting a break, almost a quarter (23%) said there was no one else to provide the care they give. Two-fifths (40%) said they worried too much about the person they care for to take time out from looking after them.

One young carer said: “I feel bad for taking breaks and when I have time for myself I’m always thinking that I could be doing something else to help out. It’s isolating because I can’t meet up with friends. I can text but it’s just not the same. Everyone’s planning their holidays and trips but I know I can’t go on holiday.”

Almost three-quarters of young carers (72%) said they miss out on the holidays because they provide care, the survey showed.

Many also felt they were shut out of a lot of the things most other children get to do. Nearly half (49%) miss out on friendships, and 46% on hobbies. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they lacked time to themselves and nearly one in five (19%) felt they were missing their education.

Young Carers Action Day is an annual campaign organised by Carers Trust with its network of local carer organisations.

It aims to highlight the challenges faced by the UK’s one million young carers (under-18s) and the hundreds of thousands of young adult carers aged 18-25. At least 16,000 young carers in the UK, some just five years old, are caring for 50 hours a week or more, according to the most recent census data.

This year the theme of Young Carers Action Day is “Give Me A Break”. It was chosen by young carers themselves to show their need for respite but also to be given a chance in life by schools, employers and politicians.

Carers Trust is calling on the UK Government to ensure all young carers have access to a properly funded break from their caring role. Politicians, education providers, employers and other organisations are also being asked to sign the Young Carers Covenant, a pledge to help young carers improve their lives.

Kirsty McHugh, Carers Trust’s CEO, said: “Across the UK, children as young as five are spending huge amounts of their free time caring for others. We know this can have a devastating effect on their education, wellbeing and future prospects. It is simply wrong that, as a country, we are asking so many children to take on so much.

“Those in power need to give young carers a break. If we want young people to thrive, as well as those for which they care, we need to give these young people the chance to take time out from their caring duties.”

The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “As Children’s Commissioner, I know from speaking to young carers that they provide essential support to their family members and take on extra responsibilities to look after their loved ones, sometimes at a cost to their own education.

“Young carers often have to navigate extremely challenging circumstances alone without extra support, which can have a big impact on their lives and wellbeing.”

“I am collecting evidence from schools and colleges about how they support young carers in their own settings, to build a national picture of how these children’s extra responsibilities are being recognised. We should be no less ambitious for young carers than we are for all children.”

On Young Carers Action Day, Carers Trust will be giving a group of young carers a break by taking them on an open top bus tour in London. The bus will be stopping at Westminster where politicians are being invited to hop aboard, meet the children and hear their concerns directly.

The day before, young carers from Hartlepool Carers Centre will hand in a letter to 10 Downing Street. It will ask for the Prime Minister’s support for the Young Carers Covenant and cross-government action to improve opportunities for young and young adult carers.

In Scotland, there will be a mass gathering of young carers at Holyrood where they will meet MSPs, share their experiences and call for more support.

There will also be a roundtable discussion with decision-makers about better access to breaks for young carers. A Young Carer Action Day Parliamentary Debate will take place in the Scottish Parliament Chamber with over 100 young carers in attendance.

In Wales, Carers Trust’s Youth Council of young carers supported by local carer organisations across the country will join together at the Senedd.

They’ll be quizzing MSs about how they can work towards a country where young carers are supported to access the short breaks they need and they’ll have a chance to hear from former young carers about the breaks they’ve had in life in their careers and education. 

For the fifth year in a row, creative arts charity Create and Carers Trust are partnering for a special showcase of artwork made by young carers during four Young Carers Action Day 2025 projects. These have taken place across the four nations of the UK.

The online showcase is on the “Give Me a Break” theme and highlights the importance of giving young carers time off from their caring responsibilities to look after their own wellbeing.

This year’s showcase will feature puppetry, photography, prints and collages specifically created for the day by young people in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.