This year has been incredibly difficult for many people, and we 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 and resources available to help maximise income for individuals and families, especially during COVID-19, including sources of financial assistance.
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.
Falkirk Council’s benefits calculator is available to help people find out the benefits they can claim, including those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The calculator is free to use, and anonymous.
Before starting a calculation, people are advised to make sure they have information to hand about their income, savings, pensions and existing benefits (including their partners’). Progress can be saved and restarted at any time.
Please note that the results of calculator are an estimate or guide to potential entitlement, and are wholly dependent upon the answers you have given.
For further information, please read the full web article.
- “Worrying About Money?” Guide
The “Worrying About Money?” guide for Falkirk is designed to help frontline staff and volunteers, and those experiencing financial insecurity, to more easily identify and access appropriate financial support and advice. It is a step-by-step guide that starts with a detailed list of financial problems someone might be facing, highlights the options available and includes contact information for appropriate advice agencies that can help someone in each situation.
The guide is available to view or download as a pdf, and can be used by frontline staff and volunteers in a range of settings.
For further information, please visit the dedicated see Cash First Project page.
- Home Energy Scotland
Home Energy Scotland is a free, impartial advice service to help people and communities across Scotland create warmer homes, reduce fuel bills and help tackle climate change.
Their advisors are currently offering Get Ready for Winter support, and can check eligibility for discounts from energy suppliers, and funding and grants available for new boilers, insulation and heating systems. (Support for employers includes free online energy saving workshops.)
Additionally, energy suppliers have begun to open their Warm Home Discount Schemes, where eligible clients could receive £140 off their winter electricity bill.
Home Energy Scotland can offer support around this by phone: 0808 808 2282, or email: adviceteam@sc.homeenergyscotland.org
For further information, please visit the Home Energy Scotland website.
Falkirk Council’s benefits calculator is available to help people find out the benefits they can claim, including those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The calculator is free to use, and anonymous.
Before starting a calculation, people are advised to make sure they have information to hand about their income, savings, pensions and existing benefits (including their partners’). Progress can be saved and restarted at any time.
Please note that the results of calculator are an estimate or guide to potential entitlement, and are wholly dependent upon the answers you have given.
For further information, please read the full web article.
- Best Start Grants
Social Security Scotland delivers a number of Best Start Grants for families, parents and children:
- Scottish Child Payment – applications are now open for this payment, which starts on Monday 15th February 2021; it is for families on certain benefits or tax credits, to help towards the costs of looking after a child. It’s £40 paid every 4 weeks for each child under 6 years old, and does not affect other benefits.
- Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment – one off payment of up to £600 from 24 weeks in pregnancy up until a baby turns 6 months for families who get certain benefits.
- Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment (halfway down page) – one off payment of £250 when a child is between two and three years and six months for families who get certain benefits.
- Best Start Grant School Age Payment – one off payment of £250 when a child would normally start primary one for families who get certain benefits.
- Best Start Foods – a pre-paid card from pregnancy up to when a child turns three for families on certain benefits to help buy healthy food.
- CAP Free Debt Counselling Service
Christians Against Poverty’s (CAP) free debt counselling service focuses on providing a service which works well for those who are more vulnerable and who need support to help them gain freedom from their debts.
They have currently and temporarily replaced their face to face service with telephone-based appointments, due to COVID-19. Once it is safe to do so, and following government guidelines, CAP will look to resume their face to face home visiting service for clients.
The Forth Valley service is available to anyone living in postcode areas FK1 – FK20, and EH51. To access the service, people will need access to either the internet or a post box.
Anyone looking for support from the above postcodes can contact CAP by phone: 0800 328 0006, Lines are open Monday – Thursday, 9:30am – 5pm, and Friday 9:30am – 3:30pm.
The Forth Valley team are also keen to speak with any local organisations and groups about their debt counselling service, and to see how they can work together to help those struggling with debt locally.
They have 2 separate booklets available, available to view or download from the CAP website as pdfs:
- for referrers and partners: Multi Service Referral Brochure
- for those looking for support: Weighed Down by Debt (Scotland)
For further information, please visit the CAP website, or contact the Forth Valley team, via Centre Manager Fiona Welsh, by email: fionawelsh@capuk.org
- “Worrying About Money?” Guide
The “Worrying About Money?” guide for Falkirk is designed to help frontline staff and volunteers, and those experiencing financial insecurity, to more easily identify and access appropriate financial support and advice. It is a step-by-step guide that starts with a detailed list of financial problems someone might be facing, highlights the options available and includes contact information for appropriate advice agencies that can help someone in each situation.
The guide is available to view or download as a pdf, and can be used by frontline staff and volunteers in a range of settings.
For further information, please visit the dedicated see Cash First Project page.
Unpaid carers (including young carers) in the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire areas who are looking for support can contact the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre:
- by phone: Falkirk – 01324 611510; Clackmannanshire: 01259 226839
- by email: centre@centralcarers.co.uk
- online
- via Twitter or Facebook
They also have teams dedicated to young carers and young adult carers, who both have social media accounts:
Below is a selection of the funding available this winter; please visit the COVID-19 Funding page for a variety of funding information.
- Falkirk COVID-19 Winter Support Fund
The local Falkirk COVID-19 Winter Support Fund has been established to enable food provision groups to continue to support families and individuals over the winter months.
This is part of Scottish Government’s COVID-19 investment package, distributed to Falkirk Council to provide financial support for local communities who continue to provide support for food insecurity throughout the pandemic. The fund will be administered by CVS Falkirk.
The monies are available for new or extended food provision in the community that is being delivered solely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which supports all members of the community experiencing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.
Applications will be reviewed from Tuesday 5th January 2021.
The deadline for completed applications is Monday 11th January 2021.
To apply, or for further information, please visit the COVID-19 Winter Support Fund page.
- NHS Forth Valley Health Promotion Service COVID-19 Response Grants
NHS Forth Valley’s Health Promotion Service has grants of up to £500 available.
The COVID-19 Response Grants support organisations to do one or all of the following:
- a range of health and wellbeing activities in response to COVID-19 which address a reduction in health inequalities (including improving mental health and wellbeing)
- piloting new ideas and initiatives or adapting previous activities
- development of employees, volunteers or clients directly relating to the work of the programme funding is being sought for
- purchase equipment which directly relates to the work of the programme
Ongoing support will be offered, and a guidance document is available online for potential applicants. It is anticipated that allocation decisions will be made quickly.
To apply, please complete the application form and return by email: fv-uhb.hpgrants@nhs.net
Alternatively, for further information (including eligibility queries), contact the Health Promotion Service at the email address above.
- Foundation Scotland Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund: Recovery Phase
Foundation Scotland is providing immediate grant funding to support constituted community groups and charities which are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in their local community. Funding is available between £1,000 – £5,000, and will be focused on immediate community needs.
As some lockdown restrictions are lifted, the Recovery funding phase aims to support organisations continuing their operations in the “new normal”, to re-establish or re-design their activities to comply with new regulations, in addition to providing emergency support for those who need it most.
The focus of Recovery funding is to provide:
- support for the ongoing needs of vulnerable people to ensure their health and wellbeing is maintained
- support to groups and activities supporting vulnerable people self-isolating (older people, those with pre-existing medical conditions, etc)
- support for foodbanks and organisations working to combat hardship caused by the pandemic, including child hunger
- support to aid community response coordination
- support for volunteer costs for new and existing organisations
- additional costs to support a move to remote working and adapting services delivered in the wider community
- additional financial support as required for organisations providing emotional support, mental health and wellbeing and bereavement support
There is no deadline, but organisations are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Foundation Scotland aims to turn around funding applications swiftly, and to keep the application process straightforward.
The funding is only open to constituted groups and organisations, who are able to provide a governing document; interested applicants are encouraged to read the Recovery funding FAQ.
Those seeking immediate community support funding should complete the online application as soon as possible.
For further information, including how to apply, please visit the Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund page.
Falkirk Council has launched the Parental Employment Support Fund (PESF), to help unemployed parents (and those facing in-work poverty) find work, boost skill sets and get advice on money.
The fund will also provide support for parents who face barriers to progressing their careers, including help to gain qualifications, improving skills or work experience; money advice, and motivational support.
Those eligible will work with a dedicated advisor to help them to progress their work ambitions and guide them to other support that is available.
For further information (including eligibility and how to apply), read the full web article.
Falkirk Council’s Employment and Training Unit (ETU) provides a range of employability programmes aimed at helping participants aged 16 years old and over improve their skills and progress into sustainable, fair work.
Working with partners from across Forth Valley (as well as other council services), ETU engages with Falkirk residents from school leavers to those who have been made redundant, from working parents to those with learning disabilities. Its services are offered in partnership with a range of specialist services aiming to make the transition into the workplace a much easier path to negotiate.
For further information, including how to get involved, view the full web article.
- Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs) in Falkirk
Due to COVID-19, all Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABs) in the Forth Valley area (including those in Falkirk) are offering services via telephone and email only, including for referrals.
They are still working to provide support and advice during this time.
As a result, we have gathered the contact information for Falkirk’s CAB branches into one place:
- Falkirk CAB – phone: 01324 626070, email: bureau@falkirkcab.casonline.org.uk
- Grangemouth and Bo’ness CAB – phone: 01324 666935, email: advice@grangemouthcab.casonline.org.uk
- Denny CAB – phone: 01324 832118 or 01324 826063, email: bureau@dennycab.casonline.org.uk
- Citizens Advice Scotland national helpline: 0800 028 1456
They have also created a COVID-19 information page, updated regularly.
For further information, please contact your local CAB via the details above.
- Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre
Unpaid carers (including young carers) in the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire areas who are looking for support can contact the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre:
- by phone: Falkirk – 01324 611510; Clackmannanshire: 01259 226839
- by email: centre@centralcarers.co.uk
- online
- via Twitter or Facebook
They also have teams dedicated to young carers and young adult carers, who both have social media accounts:
- Home Energy Scotland
Home Energy Scotland is a free, impartial advice service to help people and communities across Scotland create warmer homes, reduce fuel bills and help tackle climate change.
Their advisors are currently offering Get Ready for Winter support, and can check eligibility for discounts from energy suppliers, and funding and grants available for new boilers, insulation and heating systems. (Support for employers includes free online energy saving workshops.)
Additionally, energy suppliers have begun to open their Warm Home Discount Schemes, where eligible clients could receive £140 off their winter electricity bill.
Home Energy Scotland can offer support around this by phone: 0808 808 2282, or email: adviceteam@sc.homeenergyscotland.org
For further information, please visit the Home Energy Scotland website.
- Social Security Scotland
Social Security Scotland is responsible for social security provision in Scotland. They deliver a range of benefits on behalf of the Scottish Government, including the Best Start Grants (listed above), the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, the Funeral Support Payment, the Job Start Payment, and the Young Carer Grant.
Further information on all Social Security Scotland benefits (including eligibility and how to apply) is available on the MyGovScot website.
Alternatively, for further information or to apply over the phone, people can contact Social Security Scotland by phone: 0800 182 2222.
This information can also be provided in alternative languages or formats, requests can also be made by phone, as can requests for ESOL interpreters (if English is not your first language).
A Text Relay Service is also available: 18001 +0300 244 4000; British Sign Language users cant contact the team via contactSCOTLAND-BSL.
You can also contact Social Security Scotland’s client advisers via their web chat service.
Remember, if you have any concerns about anything you are being asked to do or pay for, you can contact Police Scotland, Trading Standards Scotland, or your local CAB at any time.
Police Scotland has released information on incidents regarding a male bogus caller presenting as a police officer (both over the phone and in person), which have been reported to the Forth Valley Division.
On both occasions the male presenting as a police officer was dressed in civilian clothing, not police uniform; he is described as scruffy looking with short dark hair, and 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Police Scotland advises that: “Under no circumstances would police officers attend at your home address to uplift any bank cards or obtain banking details such as PIN numbers. Should you be contacted by these means, do not engage with the caller, hang up immediately.”
For further information on both incidents, and advice on identifying a scam, read the full web article.
Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) has released various social media materials aimed at targeting and combating Energy Marketing Scams.
The frequent changes in the availability of energy efficiency incentives make it easy for dishonest companies to scam consumers. Scammers say that funding or grants are available, yet ask consumers to pay for the products up front or take out a loan.
TSS aims to raise awareness of the issue (with particular focus on lead generation and misleading information about grants and funding related to the UK Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme), and to point Scottish consumers towards genuine sources of information on energy funding.
For further information, please view the full web article.
Trading Standards Scotland is providing free call blocking devices to vulnerable individuals (including older people and adults with additional support needs) who are most at risk from scammers and rogue traders.
Due to the current isolation, lockdown measures and social distancing to combat COVID-19, the risk from scammers is higher. Many new COVID-19 related scams have emerged and, as lockdown eases, unsolicited marketing calls will be on the rise, often a pre-curser to face to face sales visits.
Trading Standards cannot currently install the device; however, each unit comes with full instructions, along with a helpline number.
For further information, including how to apply for a call blocking device, please view the full web article.
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
