Cost of Living Support

It comes as no surprise that Unpaid Carers and those they care for have been particularly hard hit by the cost of living crisis. A new report by Carers Scotland highlights that 1 in 4 Carers are struggling to make ends meet, with a third of Carers spending at least 20% of their income on energy. Many are cutting back on essentials like food and heating, and where households include a medically vulnerable person this is a life-threatening situation.

Carers Scotland is urging action by both UK and Scottish Governments to uprate benefits in line with inflation and provide top up payments to Carers to help support them through this difficult winter.

The charity has also made wide ranging recommendations to the Scottish Government including to introduce dedicated help with energy costs for households with a severely disabled person. At a minimum this should include identifying those people with the highest costs related to their conditions e.g. hospital and hospice at home services, home oxygen, electric hoists and beds, etc. and develop a financial support scheme to cover these additional costs. We will keep you updated with any developments on this.

If you are struggling to pay for essentials such as housing, gas & electricity and food, the organisations listed below can offer specialist support and advice. Our team is also here to talk to you about any concerns you have, and can help you to find the right support.