Our team at CVS Falkirk recognise how incredibly difficult the last few years have been for many people, and made even more so by the current cost of living crisis. We also know that money worries or pressures add to the concerns of individuals and families, including isolation and the impact seen on mental health and physical health.
In order to help people in Falkirk, and help local groups and services support the people they are engaging with, we have pulled together some information, guidance and resources available, which try to lessen the impact of the crisis on our communities.
This page includes information that families and individuals can access themselves as well as stakeholder and partner resources. Please re-circulate the information as widely as possible to ensure we can maximise the support people are entitled to by raising awareness of these resources.
In addition, our own Maximising Income page has information to help people reduce the cost of their bills, be more aware of common scams, and sources of financial assistance.
- SCVO’s #RunningCostsCrisis Resource
- Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has created a new online resource (linked for your convenience) with information, news and updates from their team on the cost of living crisis, and the #RunningCostsCrisis, in response to people and communities’ increased need for the third sector’s services, all while the sector faces its own increasing costs, falling income and an uncertain future.
- They are also tweeting, using the hashtag #RunningCostsCrisis.
- Falkirk Council Support
- Falkirk Council has provided information, via their website (linked for your convenience), on the wide range of benefits and support they can offer help with in the Falkirk District. including free period and sanitary products, help with managing money and debt, and their Advice and Support Hubs.
- They have also released this information as a leaflet, which can be viewed or downloaded as a pdf, and for those of pension age.
- Energy Saving Checklist for Community Buildings
- Our colleagues at Glasgow CVS (GCVS) have prepared a checklist with lots of helpful links and advice for your organisation on reducing the energy needs and carbon emissions of your community building. These steps will also help groups and organisations on the path to net zero, which begins with lowering emissions and energy consumption, as well as lowering energy bills.
- Foundation Scotland’s Cost of Living Increase Impact Questionnaire
- Foundation Scotland is keen to learn more about how the cost of living increases are impacting on the charities and community groups they support, and on the beneficiaries that they serve. In order to gain a fuller picture on the impact that the increase in costs is having, they have created a short questionnaire in order to gather feedback. Foundation Scotland will use the information gathered to help learn about the challenges that organisations are facing and the change in demand they are seeing from beneficiaries. The form is short and should only take around 5 minutes to complete, via Microsoft Forms.
- Please only complete this survey if you receive funding from Foundation Scotland
- Youth Scotland Report: Acting on Poverty
- Youth Scotland has released their new report: Acting on Poverty: how Youth Scotland’s vital work supports the most affected communities. This report shows how funding Youth Scotland and its programmes directly impacts communities most affected by poverty and makes a tangible difference to the lives of young people and their families.
- Home Energy Scotland (HES)
- HES can help with free, impartial advice on saving energy, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, cutting water waste and more. They have also published a detailed list of programmes and services that can help with financial support like debt, emergency funding and fuel vouchers, including:
- Winter Heating Payment
- Beginning in February 2023, a new benefit, Winter Heating Payment (previously named Low Income Winter Heating Assistance) will replace Cold Weather Payment in Scotland. All eligible households will automatically get an guaranteed annual payment of £50, and the payment will be managed by Social Security Scotland.
If you would like to help us build this list or make us aware of anything you know about, please contact us by email: info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk
