Written Question · S4W-00580 · Session 4
What support it provides to organisations that provide welfare rights and money advice.
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to organisations that provide welfare rights and money advice.
The answer
Supporting the provision of welfare rights and money advice is a key aspect of the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling poverty. The Achieving our Potential budget funds national infrastructure for the sector, this year for example:
Citizens Advice Direct continues to receive core funding of £400,000 and an additional £80,000 to provide telephone benefit checks to those people referred through the Energy Assistance Package and Home Insulation Scheme;
The Child Poverty Action Group provides a second tier advice service and has received £408,000 this year to deliver the Second Tier Advice, Information and Training services, and the Benefits for Students Training, Advice and Information service. This offers advice, training and support to frontline staff that are in contact with households that are likely to be entitled to benefits and tax credits, and
MATRICS (a collaboration between Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland) will receive £191,600 towards training and support for the money advice sector.
The Scottish Government has also invested in a number of innovative local services, for example:
Link Housing Association are receiving £300,000 to continue their Older People’s Advice service, which provides an outreach support and advice service in Glasgow, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire and West Lothian to vulnerable older people with a particular emphasis on clients who have health problems, or who live in remote areas, and
Macmillan Cancer Support has been allocated £406,500 this financial year to continue to provide benefits advice and support across the five cancer treatment centres in Scotland and in two NHS boards for patients with long-term conditions.
In addition, a number of organisations and initiatives receive Scottish Government funding to provide a wide range of support to individuals and families which includes welfare rights and money advice, for example the Lone Parents Helpline, Parenting in Scotland, Contact-a-Family, National Debtline and the Family Nurse Partnership programme.
Responsibility for the delivery of local money and welfare rights advice lies with community planning partnerships and a comprehensive and responsive range of support and intervention services exists across the country funded through the Local Government Settlement.
Citizens Advice Direct continues to receive core funding of £400,000 and an additional £80,000 to provide telephone benefit checks to those people referred through the Energy Assistance Package and Home Insulation Scheme;
The Child Poverty Action Group provides a second tier advice service and has received £408,000 this year to deliver the Second Tier Advice, Information and Training services, and the Benefits for Students Training, Advice and Information service. This offers advice, training and support to frontline staff that are in contact with households that are likely to be entitled to benefits and tax credits, and
MATRICS (a collaboration between Citizens Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland) will receive £191,600 towards training and support for the money advice sector.
The Scottish Government has also invested in a number of innovative local services, for example:
Link Housing Association are receiving £300,000 to continue their Older People’s Advice service, which provides an outreach support and advice service in Glasgow, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire and West Lothian to vulnerable older people with a particular emphasis on clients who have health problems, or who live in remote areas, and
Macmillan Cancer Support has been allocated £406,500 this financial year to continue to provide benefits advice and support across the five cancer treatment centres in Scotland and in two NHS boards for patients with long-term conditions.
In addition, a number of organisations and initiatives receive Scottish Government funding to provide a wide range of support to individuals and families which includes welfare rights and money advice, for example the Lone Parents Helpline, Parenting in Scotland, Contact-a-Family, National Debtline and the Family Nurse Partnership programme.
Responsibility for the delivery of local money and welfare rights advice lies with community planning partnerships and a comprehensive and responsive range of support and intervention services exists across the country funded through the Local Government Settlement.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S4W-00580 by reference.