Falkirk Council has provided a series of support options for those living within its boundaries, including:
This page focuses on loss of job, reduced hours or financial difficulty as a result of the current pandemic.
If your employer is downsizing as a result of COVID-19, you may be entitled to a redundancy payment. Your employer may also ask you to cut your hours or take unpaid leave. In all of these circumstances, there may be financial help available to you, including support around:
For further information, please visit the Falkirk Council website.
Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership’s (HSCP) COVID-19 Community Action Fund has been set up to support community groups, voluntary and third sector organisations and small businesses to support people within communities who are affected by COVID-19.
The fund will contribute towards activity they are planning to carry out within the local community. Falkirk HSCP will also consider reimbursement of costs as a result of activity that has already taken place or is ongoing; they will require proof of payments already made.
Groups and organisations should apply for the amount of funding that they think is appropriate to the activities they want to provide. There is no minimum level of funding, though applications for funding over £1,000 may result in a request for further information.
For further information, including how to apply, visit the dedicated COVID-19 Funding page.
As a result of COVID-19, Scottish Government instructed all schools and nurseries within Scotland to close from Friday 20th March until after the Easter holidays (at least). Some schools have remained partially open, to provide childcare for children of key workers only.
Falkirk Council has provided a list of schools affected by this closure, including those open for key workers’ children, and those providing free lunches (which are available for all children).
Falkirk Council has uploaded information on support around childcare arrangements for key workers (linked above), who have exhausted all other options, where those are available.
As of Friday 27th March, they have begun implementing Phase 4 of their Critical Worker Childcare provision. Parents who have been allocated a place will receive an email and registration form from Children’s Services.
Parents are advised to only accept this offer where:
- both parents or carers are critical workers
- they are unable to make suitable alternative arrangements
- they are unable to work from home
- children are unable to safely remain at home unsupervised
Please note, children cannot attend these childcare arrangements if they display any symptoms of COVID-19.
They have also published a separate page (linked above), with information on those schools distributing lunches (“grab and go” lunches), and alternative locations. This is based on actual demand in local areas, and availability of school staff.
For further information on all school closure statuses, visit the Falkirk Council website.
Falkirk Council is continuing their adult and child protection services, adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown; they are committed to their legal duty to protect and support adults and children at risk of harm, and will respond to every concern reported to them.
Anyone who is worried about a child’s safety is encouraged to contact social work services by phone:
- Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm: 01324 506070
- Monday – Friday from 5pm, and at weekends: 01786 470500
Those concerned about a vulnerable adult’s safety should contact the adult protection team:
- by phone, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm: 01324 506070
- by email: asp@falkirk.gov.uk
Further information is also available on the Falkirk Council webapges for adult protection and child protection, and on their new postcards issued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:
If you are concerned that anyone is at immediate risk of harm contact Police Scotland as soon as possible by phone: 999.
In addition to Scottish Government funding and support, you can find out the latest information on these funds and other support for local businesses on the Falkirk Council website, including:
- I am a Falkirk town centre business, who do I go to for help?
- What support is there for tourism businesses?
- What is the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme and who is it for?
Falkirk’s Business Support Fund is not open to charities who receive business rates relief, and occupy a premise with a rateable value of £18,000 (or less), who are eligible to apply for grants of £10,000.
Ratepaying charities are eligible if they occupy a property with a rateable value of £18,000 or less. This is in addition to the existing position where charities providing a retail, leisure or hospitality function were already eligible for a £25,000 grant (if they occupy a property with a rateable value of between £18,001 and £51,000).
For further information, please view the full web article.
If you’re a local business looking for support, and your questions aren’t answered on the Falkirk Council website, Business Gateway Falkirk will be able to signpost you to advice and support.
Please note, however, that the Business Gateway Falkirk office is closed to visitors; all advisers are working remotely and can be contacted by email: business@falkirk.gov.uk
For further information on local business support, visit the Falkirk Council website.
- MOTs
It has been announced by the UK Government that vehicles with MOTs due on or after Monday 30th March 2020 will have their MOT expiry date will be extended by 6 months, but owners must keep their vehicle safe to drive.
As a result, from close of play on Wednesday 25th March, Falkirk Council has suspending the operation of their hackney and MOT testing operations (including for members of the public, which are normally carried out and charged at a commercial rate).
During this time, taxi and private hire car operators can obtain their DVSA MOT certificate from an external provider. The hackney element of the test will be temporarily set aside until such times as the testing station is back to being fully operational. No new taxi plates will be issued.
Please note that it is the responsibility of operators to check with their insurance provider to make sure that their cover remains in force with the temporary change in testing arrangements to ensure they can operate as normal.
For further information, visit Falkirk Council’s Road Safety and MOT page.
- Blue Badge Scheme (Disabled Parking)
Due to COVID-19, Falkirk Council can now only accept online applications for Blue Badges; paper applications can no longer be accepted, and successful applicants for a Blue Badge will be asked to pay over the phone. The council asks that people please do not visit Abbotsford House, or any other council office, to pay in person.
The Blue Badge Scheme provides parking concessions nationally and across Europe for people with a permanent and substantial disability (including people with a diagnosed mental health issue and/or cognitive impairment), whether that person is the driver or a passenger, with full eligibility criteria included in the application form.
The holder of a Blue Badge is permitted to park in areas normally subject to restrictions to assist them to access healthcare, shops and other facilities.
For further information on the Blue Badge Scheme within the Falkirk Council area, in general and in relation to COVID-19, visit the Falkirk Council dedicated Blue Badge Scheme page.
Alternatively, to submit an online application to the Blue Badge Scheme, please visit the MyGov.Scot website.
As of Monday 20th April, all collections are operating as normal across the Falkirk Council areas (including general waste, food, and blue and brown recycling), with the exception of bulk waste and brown bin (garden waste) collections.
Also suspended for the time being are Community Litter Picks, and recycling centres are closed to ensure Scottish Government’s advice to stay home is followed. Litter and dog bin collection, along with street cleansing, are working with limited operations, with priority given to street litter bins.
This is due to reduced resources and staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Falkirk Council has asked people to be aware that, as a result, they may not have available resource to return for any missed bins – it is important to place bins out for collection by 6:30am on collection day, and be aware that collection times may vary.
General waste green bins and grey food caddies are priority collection services.
Given the need to suspend other collections, from Monday 30th March households can put out up to an additional 2 bin bags’ worth of waste for collection with their green bin.
If your household is affected by COVID–19, the NHS Inform website advises:
You can securely store personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths within disposable rubbish bags. These should be:
- placed into another bag
- tied securely
- kept separate from other waste in your room
- put aside for at least 72 hours before being putting in your usual external household waste bin
Other household waste can be disposed of as normal.”
For further information on Falkirk Council’s bin collections during COVID-19, please visit their dedicated Household Waste and Recycling page.
