News & Events

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. 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.

The Best Start School Age Payment is now open for applications for children born between Sunday 1st March 2015 – Monday 29th February 2016 (due to start school in August). This is a £250 payment made around the time a child normally starts Primary 1 to help with the costs of a child starting school; the child does not need to be taking a place in school for the family to be eligible. The payment can be used for anything that families may need at this key stage in a child’s life.

One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) has secured funding from Scottish Government’s Wellbeing Fund to provide support to single parents across Scotland during this challenging period.  Through this funding, third sector and statutory organisations can sponsor single parents to apply for £50 for help with their energy costs.  This is not a means tested application, though sponsors are required to ascertain there are issues of hardship. Single parents with children up to 25 years old are eligible. The deadline for applications is 5pm next Wednesday 24th June.

The Forth Valley Social Enterprise Network (FVSEN) held its first online meeting on Friday 22nd May, providing an opportunity for members to share their experiences of running their social enterprises through the current COVID-19 pandemic, and to offer each other support. FVSEN also welcomed Social Media professional Shannon Earaker as a guest speaker.