New £50 Winter Heating Payment will only go to people claiming certain benefits during qualifying week

Winter 2022 has been a cold one, and while the passing of Christmas brings us one step closer to spring, there's still a long way to go.

Social Security Scotland is encouraging young people who are starting a new job to claim a unique cash boost which could help with additional costs. Eligible 16-24 year olds who are already receiving certain other benefits or Tax Credits can apply for Job Start Payment - a one-off payment worth £267.65, or £428.25 if the applicant is the main carer of children.

This festive period will be a different type of holiday for many households due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. Soaring energy bills and record-breaking inflation means that money matters are at the forefront of spending, prioritising practical needs and staying in the black rather than stretching household budgets to breaking point.

New Year’s Day falls on Sunday, which means days at the start of the first week of 2023 are classed as bank holidays. Monday, January 2, is an ‘observed’ bank holiday across the UK while Tuesday, January 3, is classed as a ‘substitute’ bank holiday - but only in Scotland.

Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment are new health benefits replacing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance for Children (DLA for Child) for people living in Scotland. The devolved benefits will provide financial support for young children and those between 16 and State Pension age, who are disabled, have a long-term health condition or have a terminal illness.

New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, which means days at the start of the first week of 2023 are classed as bank holidays. Monday, January 2, is an ‘observed’ bank holiday across the UK while Tuesday, January 3, is classed as a ‘substitute’ bank holiday - but only in Scotland.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that the final batch of Winter Fuel Payments have now been processed and credited to eligible claimants’ bank accounts on Monday, December 12. This year’s heating bill help also includes the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, providing up to £600 in extra support.

Thousands of unpaid carers across Scotland received an extra payment of £245.70 on Friday, December 9. Carer’s Allowance Supplement is a devolved benefit paid twice a year to those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance on certain qualifying dates.

Social Security Scotland has issued an important update for new and existing claimants of Scottish Child Payment. The devolved benefit is now worth £25 per week to parents and carers of children up to 16, worth £100 per month, per eligible child.

Millions of people claiming certain benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have started to receive a bonus payment in their bank accounts. The £10 annual bonus is made automatically which arrives separately from a claimant’s regular State Pension or benefit payment.

Scotland's struggling health services cannot improve without tax increases for higher earners, Humza Yousaf has said as he claimed emergency departments will start to recover after winter.

TSB has launched a new fund to help support existing customers fleeing abusive relationships by providing a payment of up to £500. The ‘Emergency Flee Fund’ offers support payments of between £50 and £500 which will be paid into a TSB bank account that only the customer can access.

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that in May there were 936,766 people receiving weekly payments of £69.70 for Carer’s Allowance, including 81,682 living in Scotland. However, new research from the Carers Trust suggests that some unpaid carers are relying on loans and credit cards to help them pay bills during the cost of living crisis.

New research suggests that more than three million low-income households cannot afford to heat their homes this winter, posing a risk to their health as a severe chill sweeps across the country. The prolonged cold snap is set to continue into next week and Scottish household will no longer have the £25 Cold Weather Payment to help heat their homes as it has been replaced by a new devolved one-off payment for £50 which will be paid in February 2023.

After a long week of work or school, many households look forward to a well-earned takeaway from the chippy. And no fish supper is complete without a generous sprinkling of salt and spraying of vinegar.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that it has commissioned research into the experiences of people claiming and receiving Carer’s Allowance. DWP Minister Tom Pursglove MP, explained that the Department is “reviewing the research results as part of our wider policy development and thinking around Carer’s Allowance”.

Almost one in four families across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland qualified for financial support from the UK Government's £37 billion support package to help them through the cost of living crisis this winter. However, if you were not eligible for a means-tested benefit, disability, or pensioner payment, you may still be able to access cash support from your local council

It feels like Love Island was only just on our TVs, but now the winter series will be on our screens in just a matter of weeks.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed that some 7.3 million payments of £324 have now been made to low-income families across the country as part of the UK Government’s £37 billion cost of living support package.

The Scottish Government has announced that almost £60 million has been distributed to thousands of families with disabled children in the first year of a new devolved disability benefit. The latest official figures from Social Security Scotland show the families of nearly 44,000 children and young people were receiving Child Disability Payment in September this year.