I currently work part time, don’t make a lot of money and am struggling. I am in receipt of Tax Credits, but I’m not sure if I would be entitled to anything else. My daughter is five years old and starts school this year. Can you point me in the direction of any support I can apply for please?

I currently work part time, don’t make a lot of money and am struggling. I am in receipt of Tax Credits, but I’m not sure if I would be entitled to anything else. My daughter is five years old and starts school this year. Can you point me in the direction of any support I can apply for please?

There are a range of additional benefits and discounts that you may be entitled to.

Even though you are working part time, based on the particulars of your circumstances, you may be entitled to apply for Universal Credit.

What is Universal Credit?

Universal Credit is an income-related benefit to help with your living costs, and is paid monthly, or twice per month for some people in Scotland. You may be able to get this benefit if you are on a low income.

If you are successful in your application for Universal Credit, it is worth noting that your Tax Credits will stop, however you may also qualify for other benefits.

Applications for Universal Credit can be made online by creating an account on the gov.uk website. You must complete your claim within 28 days of creating your account, or you will need to start again.

School Age Payment

School Age Payment is available to families who get tax credits and certain other benefits. If your daughter was born between the 1st of March 2017 and the 28th of February 2018, then you are entitled to apply.

The one-off payment of £267.65 can be used to pay for books, school bags, clothes, and equipment for school.

Applications for school age payment close at midnight on the 28th of February, so it is important to make sure you have applied before this date. Applications can be made online through mygov.scot, or by calling 0800 182 2222.

Council Tax Discount

If you are the only adult living in the home, you may also be entitled to Council Tax Discount. This is a discount of twenty-five percent on Council Tax if there is one adult counted as living in your property.

To apply for this, you should contact the finance or revenues team at your local authority. To find the relevant contact information for your local authority, you can use the postcode search available here.

Other Benefit Entitlement

From the information you supplied, you may be entitled to apply for additional support, including Child Benefit, and other discretionary benefits that may be able to help if you are struggling.

This could include Discretionary Housing Payment, which can provide further assistance to pay for rent, and other emergency support offered by your local authority.

More information on your individual situation would be required before making definite recommendations.

Support in Applying for Benefits

If you require assistance in making applications for benefits, the team at advice.scot can help. The advice.scot service, run by Advice Direct Scotland offer advice and information in a range of areas, including benefits, and can assist with completing application forms.

They will also be able to go through full benefits check with you to see if you would be eligible for any additional support and point you in the right direction if you are.

The team are available on 0808 800 9060, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

They can also make referrals on to sources of support that can help with other things if you are struggling. This includes the Scottish Government’s Home Heating Support Fund, which can help if you are struggling with energy costs.

For more information on the fund, visit www.homeheatingadvice.scot.

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