Scotland snow update as temperatures plunge below -15C in coldest night of year

A think-tank has warned that families are facing a "groundhog year" as further squeezes on living standards look set to continue into 2023. The Resolution Foundation said that while there are signs inflation will ease and interest rates peak lower than feared, family finances face a repeat of 2022's cost of living challenges.

The UK Government recently announced a series of new cost of living payments to help millions of households across the country mitigate soaring inflation and ever-increasing energy bills. The new cost of living support package is worth £26 billion in 2023/24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities.

The Scottish Government is working towards delivering a new benefit that will start to replace Carer’s Allowance by the end of next year, with a full national rollout planned for Spring 2024, according to a new progress report on the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.

New analysis suggests that a German-style national drive to reduce UK energy use by turning off lights and lowering heating temperatures could save households £400 and save the Treasury £9 billion. The Social Market Foundation (SMF), a cross-party think-tank, is calling on the UK Government to follow Germany’s lead and launch an information campaign that provides practical tips on reducing household energy demand.

The ongoing cost of living crisis has made 2022 a challenging year for millions of households across Scotland. Soaring energy bills along with higher food and fuel prices brought about by record-breaking inflation means budgets are continually being pushed to breaking point.

Scots are set to be lashed with rain as the Met Office has issued a fresh yellow rain warning for later this week.

The UK Government has launched a dedicated website aimed at helping households save money on their energy bills. A new advertising campaign has also started airing on TV screens nationwide as part of the ‘It All Adds Up’ £18 million awareness initiative.

The number of calls to a leading energy advice service has more than quadrupled over the last year as Scots struggle with the cost of living crisis.

The Met Office have clarified whether Scotland will experience a rare burst of thundersnow as the country endures unsettled conditions.

Motorists have seen several changes throughout 2022, and will be seeing more as we head into 2023.

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.

Nurses and midwives in Perth and Kinross will join strikes across Scotland next year after members of the Royal College of Nursing “overwhelmingly” rejected the latest pay offer for NHS workers.

The UK Government recently announced a series of new cost of living payments to help millions of households across the country mitigate soaring inflation and ever-increasing energy bills. The new cost of living support package is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities.

Popular BBC show Line of Duty is to return to our screens next year, according to reports.

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.

Basic and New State Pension payments will increase next year by 10.1% for some 12.5 million older people across the UK, including 992,052 living in Scotland. The honouring of the Triple Lock rule was confirmed last month during Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement and means that older people are set for an income boost from April, 2023.

Phone calls and surfing the internet will be allowed on EU flights as of next summer, it has been announced.

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.

BBC 's The Traitors is going to be shown in the USA next year, it has been announced. The reality TV programme - hosted by Claudia Winkleman - is filmed in Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands and sees a team of players competing in a series of missions.

Falkirk Council's 'black box' collections - which accept glass, textiles and small electrical items - will come to an end next year, with the start of a national scheme, that will see people return bottles and cans for cash.