Cost of living support

Support with energy bills: 

• Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
• Winter Heating Payment
• Warm Home Discount
• If you cannot pay your energy bill

Funding:

• Warmer Homes Scotland funding
• Home Energy Scotland funding

Family benefits and payments:

• Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods
• Scottish Child Payment
• Child Benefit

Childcare:

• Funded early learning and childcare
• Tax-free childcare
• Universal Credit: help with childcare costs
• Students: Lone Parents' Childcare Grants

School and education:

• Free school meals
• School clothing grant
• Free school transport
• Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

Free bus travel:

• Free bus pass (under 22s)

Pregnancy:

• Baby Boxes

Caring for a sick or disabled child:

• Child Disability Payment
• Child Winter Heating Assistance
• Carer's Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Carer's Allowance Supplement
• Family Fund
• Free disabled persons bus pass
• Young Patients Family Fund

Get help with child maintenance:

• Child maintenance

Benefit calculators:

• Entitledto 
• Turn2us
• Policy in Practice

Benefits and payments:

• Cost of Living Payments
• Universal Credit
• Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods
• Scottish Child Payment
• Child Benefit
• Pension Credit
• Funeral Support Payment

Carers:

• Carer's Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Carer's Allowance Supplement
• Young Carer Grant

Disabled children:

• Child Disability Payment
• Child Winter Heating Assistance
• Family Fund
• Free school transport

Disabled adults:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Independent Living Fund

Debt and money advice:

• Money Talk Team: free debt and money advice
• Citizens Advice Scotland: Money Map tool

If you pay rent:

• Benefits calculator: check if you can get help with rent
• Housing Benefit
• Discretionary Housing Payment
• Rent arrears: Tenant Grant Fund
• Know your renting rights

If you pay a mortgage:

• Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI)

Housing advice:

• Shelter Scotland: housing advice

Council tax discounts:

• Council tax discounts and reductions

Benefits and payments:

• Universal Credit
• Job Start Payment

Travel:

• Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card

Find work or training:

• Find a job
• Personalised job support
• Help to find a job: Fair Start Scotland
• Parental Employability Support Fund

Young people:

• Apprenticeships
• Young Person's Guarantee 

Pay:

• Check you're getting the right pay
• Scottish Living Wage employers (£10.90 per hour)

Tax:

• Marriage Allowance

Debt:

• Help with debt
• Money Talk Team: free debt and money advice

Money:

• Budgeting Loans
• Affordable borrowing: community lenders
• Help to save (if you're on a low income)

Free bus passes:

• Older persons bus pass
• Disabled persons bus pass

• Under 22s bus pass

Train travel:

• Discounted train travel

If you're unemployed:

• Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card

Ferry concessions (if you live in Western Isles, Orkney or Shetland):

• Ferry concessions

Air Discount Scheme (if you live in Highlands and Islands):

• Air Discount Scheme

Parking for disabled people:

• Blue Badge

Healthcare costs:

• Dental treatment costs
• Eye tests and glasses
• Free period products
• Free flu vaccine
• Free prescriptions
• Help with other healthcare costs

Mental health support:

• Breathing Space
• Mind to Mind
• NHS 24 mental health services
• Samaritans

Young people's mental health support:

• Young Scot: Cost Crisis guide
• Young Scot: Aye Feel

Mental health at work:

• Healthy Working Lives

Local groups and activities:

• ALISS website: support in your area

• Scottish Welfare Fund (Crisis Grants)
• If you cannot pay your energy bills
• Contact your local council
• If you cannot afford to top up your prepayment meter