Welfare Rights Service
Your local council can provide welfare rights assistance. A list of council contact numbers can be downloaded here. Alternatively, you may find our Frequently Asked Questions or the following web sites useful: www.adviceguide.org.uk
(NB Make sure you select Scotland on the top menu bar before you start or the advice may be wrong)
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
www.rightsnet.org.uk
www.disabilityalliance.org
NEWS
Reform of welfare legislationFrom UPDATE Rights Newsletter, February 2006. The government has recently published its Green Paper on Welfare Reform, entitled ‘A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work’. Its aim is to tackle inactivity in three key areas:- people on incapacity benefits, lone parents and older workers. Reform of the welfare state as a whole will include a reformed benefits system, a modernised delivery system, a ‘unified menu of support’ available to all out-of-work people and reform of the housing benefit system. People on incapacity benefitsThe government strategy is to reduce the number of people moving onto benefits, increase the number of people leaving it quickly and provide additional financial support to the most seriously disabled people. Initiatives will include changes to how GPs deal with absence certification, improved access to employment advice, reform of statutory sick pay and incapacity benefit. The changes to incapacity benefit (ICB) will apply to new claimants only. It is proposed that ICB will be replaced by an Employment and Support Allowance which will have three phases:- an assessment phase followed by an employment phase if a return to work is feasible or a support component if it is unlikely that the claimant will be able to work Lone parentsThe government is keen to build on currently high levels of lone parent employment by introducing more support as well as financial incentives. Top of page Worried about rising fuel bills?From the Energy Watch website - www.energywatch.org.uk Energy SmartBe Energy Smart - SAVE energy SAVE money!Since 2003 electricity prices have risen by around 30% and gas prices by a huge 40%. That means that the average household electricity bill has risen by £238 to £293 and the average household gas bill by £319 to £452! Everyone can cut their bills by being Energy Smart – using less energy getting the best deal and paying by the cheapest method. Follow the tips below and you could save hundreds of pounds.1. Compare your energy company for price...Someone who has never switched their energy supplier could save up to £100 by moving to a new company! You can check the most up to date prices on this website or call 0845 9060708 for a price comparison factsheet. You can also use online price comparison websites which make the process of comparing prices and switching even easier. 2. Pay by the cheapest method…You don’t even have to change company to save money. If you are paying by cheque every quarter you could save up to £67 by switching to direct debit and even more if you switch to an online account. For people who are on pre payment meters you could save up to £101 if you paid by direct debit. 3. Take control of your heating…Is your heating on too high? The most important thing is to keep warm in winter, but turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10%. And if you're going away for winter, leave the thermostat on a low setting to provide protection from freezing at minimum cost. You could save around £30 per year. Hot water doesn't need to be scalding. For most people, setting the cylinder thermostat at 60°C/140°F is fine for bathing and washing. 4. Get help!There are a range of grants available to help people make their homes more energy efficient and cut your fuel bills through draught proofing, cavity wall or loft insulation, radiator controls and other methods. To find out if you are eligible for any of these phone your local energy efficiency advice centre on 0800 512 012. Also, look out for any special offers from your energy company or local authority – you might receive information about these along with your bill. 5. Plug up the gaps...If you stop draughts and heat escaping by filling gaps under skirting boards with newspaper, beading or mastic sealant you can save £5-£10 off your bills every year! Double-glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could cut your heating bill by up to £40 a year. Just closing your curtains at dusk will stop heat escaping through windows. You can eliminate even more draughts and wasted heat by using an easy-to-fix brush or PVC seal on your exterior doors. Always put the plug in your basin or sink. Leaving hot water running straight down the drain really is throwing money away. 6. Don’t standby, switch off!Turn the lights off when you leave a room and adjust your curtains or blinds to let in as much light as possible during the day. Televisions, videos, stereos, computers, and cordless phones: To cut down on wasted energy, avoid leaving appliances on standby and remember not to leave them on charge unnecessarily. But please check the user manual first. 7. Dress up your hot water tank…An insulating jacket for hot water tanks only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save £10-£15 a year. If every UK household fitted a jacket on their tank tomorrow, we'd save over £150 million of energy every year! 8. Half empty or half full…Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need. You'll get your drink quicker and you’ll save energy too! However for washing machines, tumble driers and dishwashers always aim for a full load if you can't use a half-load or economy programme. Use the low temperature programme bearing in mind that modern washing powders will be just as effective at lower temperatures. Wring out or spin-drying really wet clothes before putting them into a tumble dryer will save you money, and they dry faster. 9. A bright idea...buy an energy efficient light bulbWhen the days are shorter you'll be relying on your lights more. Trade up your ordinary light bulbs for energy saving ones. Priced from just £5, energy efficient light bulbs last 12 times longer and for each bulb you fit, you can save up to £7 on your annual electricity bill. If every UK household installed just one bulb we'd save over £80 million per year! 10. Figure out what works for you … take the EST Home Energy Check...You know what energy saving methods will work best for you. To get an idea of how much you could save in your home use the Energy Savings Trust online home energy check. Alternatively, you can obtain a paper version by calling your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (EEAC) on 0800 512 012. Staff at your local EEAC can also provide you with free, impartial advice on how to make your home more energy efficient and talk to you about the grants available in your area to implement energy efficient measures. Top of page Free Travel Across ScotlandA new nationwide concessionary travel scheme for bus travel for older and disabled people begins on the 1st April. The scheme allows older and disabled people free bus travel at any time of day on local buses and national scheduled coaches within Scotland, using a National Entitlement Card. The Scheme applies to older people aged 60 and over and disabled people who: - are receiving high rate mobility or middle or high rate care elements of Disability Living Allowance
- are severely or profoundly deaf
- are registered blind or partially sighted
- are blue badge holders
- have mental health difficulties who have been resident in a hospital for treatment for one year or regular treatment over one year
- have a terminal illness and a mobility difficulty as a result
- have had their diving license withdrawn for health reasons
People who receive middle or high rate care for Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance who need assistance to travel can have one companion travelling free. People who currently use local concessionary travel schemes should have been sent applications for the scheme already. For everyone else, application forms are available from local libraries or by phoning 0845 300 3490 and internet users can access the website www.infoscotland.com/seemoreofscotland. Top of page
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