Maximise your income

Are you getting everything you’re

entitled to? If you’re not sure, make

an appointment with us for a bene-

fit check.

The Scottish Parliament Information

Centre estimates that billions of

pounds worth of state benefits and

tax credits remain unclaimed every

year.

In addition to state benefits, there

are other ways to maximise your

income, for example:

Take in a lodger.

Ask our grown-up children

who live with you to con-

tribute to the bills.

Switch services. You may

not be getting the best

deals for your insurance,

phone, broadband, elec-

tricity or gas suppliers. Ask

us for advice.

Set up Direct Debits for

your bills, to avoid late-

payment charges and get

discounts on some utility

bills.

Some people find it difficult to open

a standard current account, whilst

others may be reluctant to open one

for fear of getting into debt due to

bank charges.

You may not be aware that, since 1

January 2016, new basic bank ac-

counts have been made available to

everyone and are free of all charg-

es. These accounts offer no credit

card and no overdraft to avoid the

risk of debt.

They are particularly useful for those

who don’t already have a bank

account, and those who can’t use

their existing account due to finan-

cial difficulty.

These accounts give you a debit card

so you can make payments in shops

and online, access the ATM network

and set up direct debits.

Ten banking groups offer these fee-

free accounts: Barclays, the Co-

operative Bank, HSBC, Lloyds Bank-

ing Group (Bank of Scotland, Halifax

and Lloyds), Clydesdale Bank and

Yorkshire Bank, Nationwide, RBS

Group (NatWest, Royal Bank of

Scotland and Ulster Bank), Santan-

der, TSB and Virgin Money.

You will need a form of ID to open a

basic bank account but benefit

entitlement letters often suffice if

you don’t have a passport.

If you don’t already have one, open-

ing a bank account is a good idea

given that the Government has

made bank accounts a requirement

for all claimants of the new benefit,

Universal Credit, which aims to

replace all means-tested benefits

within the coming years.

Basic Bank Accounts

Community Help & Advice

Initiative (CHAI)

ELS House, 555 Gorgie Road

Edinburgh EH11 3LE

Phone: 0131 442 1009 Email: chai@chaiedinburgh.org.uk Web: www.chaiedinburgh.org.uk Scottish Charity No. SC. 027594

July 2017 Volume 1, Issue 1

Family Support &

Advice Service

Newsletter ABOUT US

We are a registered Scottish

charity providing free and

independent advice to peo-

ple affected by housing, debt

and benefit issues in Edin-

burgh and Midlothian.

Our Family Support & Advice

Service provides advice,

information and representa-

tion to families - and aims to

maximise income, address

any money problems or

housing issues and provide

guidance on how best to stay

on top of their finances.

The project is funded by the

City of Edinburgh Council and

is delivered by CHAI in con-

junction with NHS Lothian.

November 2017 Issue # 1

Maximise your Income

billions of pounds worth of state

benefits and tax credits remain

unclaimed every year.

Working in partnership with

schools, our advice is free, confi-

dential and impartial. We provide

advice to parents within their

children’s school. Ask your school

reception for an appointment.

In addition to state benefits, there

are other ways to maximise your

income, for example:

Take in a lodger or a

boarder, but do check

with your landlord for

permission first.

Ask your grown-up chil-

dren who live with you to

contribute to your bills.

Switch services. You may

not be getting the best

deals for your insurance,

phone, broadband, elec-

tricity or gas suppliers.

Set up Direct Debits for

your bills, to avoid late-

payment charges and get

discounts on some utility

bills.

Ask us for advice on any of the

above. We can help you identi-

fy ways to maximise your in-

come depending on your cir-

cumstances.

Are you getting everything you’re

entitled to? If you’re not sure,

make an appointment with us for

a benefit check.

You could be missing out on bene-

fits such as Tax Credits, Housing

Benefit, Disability Living Allow-

ance, Personal Independence

Payment or Carer’s Allowance.

The Scottish Parliament Infor-

mation Centre estimates that

under £6,420—in which case

you only qualify for help with

school meals, but not school

clothing; or

Universal Credit, where take

home pay is less than £610 per

month.

The school wear award is £43 for

primary pupils and £50 for sec-

ondary pupils. You no longer get

vouchers for school wear. In-

stead, a payment is made directly

to your bank account.

Since 2015, the Scottish Govern-

ment has made free school meals

available to all children from

P1 to P3.

Beyond P3, parents can apply for

help with school meals and

school wear if they receive any of

the following welfare benefits:

A means-tested benefit such

as Income Support, income-

related Employment and Sup-

port Allowance (ESA), income-

based JSA; or

You receive Child Tax Credits

and your annual income is less

than £16,105; or

You receive both Child Tax

Credits and Working Tax Cred-

its and your annual income is

The application form can be down-

loaded at: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/

schoolgrants or phone them on 0131

469 3471. You will need to provide

benefit award letters as proof of

income, including your latest tax

credits award letter for 2017/18.

If you are not eligible for help with

school meals/school wear because

you don’t claim any of the above

benefits, you could apply for a charity

grant instead, for example to the

Edinburgh Police Fund for Children,

Tel: 0131 662 5033 or web:

www.eltf.org.uk/funds/edinburgh-

police-fund-for-children/

Other charities can help, for example

the Edinburgh Trust, or Children in

Need , but you’ll need to be referred

by a suitable third party such as an

advice worker. Ask us for advice!

Free School Meals and Assistance with School Wear

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From DLA to PIP

For the Over 16’s

2

Watch Out for

Tax Credits

Problems

2

@CHAI

@CHAI

“You still have until 31st

January 2018 to do

something about your

tax credits ”

Page 2 Family Support & Advice Service

Issue # 1 - November 2017 Page 2

Standard rate or the Enhanced

rate, depending on the severity

of people’s care and mobility

needs. This is broadly similar to

DLA.

Unlike DLA, however, PIP claim-

ants are assessed against a list of

descriptors under a point system

which tends to make assess-

ments more transparent and

easier to understand. There are

other changes worth noting:

If your child claims Disability

Living Allowance (DLA), their

claim will be reassessed under

the new disability benefit scheme

known as Personal Independ-

ence Payment (PIP), shortly after

they have turned 16. You do not

need to take any action. You will

receive a PIP form to fill in at

some point after their 16th birth-

day.

There are two parts to a PIP

award: the Daily Living

component, which looks

at care needs, and the

Moving Around compo-

nent, which looks at mo-

bility. Both components

can be paid either at the

Most PIP claimants have to

attend a medical assessment. It

is no longer possible to be award-

ed a disability benefit on the

basis of written evidence only.

Awards are no longer indefinite

but are made for fixed periods of

time, so you are re-assessed on a

regular basis.

PIP can only support people

whose care needs equate to

current middle and high-

er rate of the care compo-

nent of DLA. There is no

equivalent for the lowest

rate of the care component

under PIP.

From DLA to PIP For the Over 16’s

deadline on 31 January of the

following year, i.e. you still have

until 31st January 2018 to do

something about your tax credits

if your claim has been cancelled

because you did not return the

annual declaration.

However, you will have to give

reasons why you were so late in

The tax credits system is annual.

After the end of the tax year in

March of each year, there is an

annual review process.

You will be asked to complete an

annual declaration and return it

to HMRC, confirming your cir-

cumstances and income for the

completed tax year.

Annual declaration forms are sent

out between April and July. There

are strict deadlines for returning

the declaration.

annual declaration

deadlines

In most cases the deadline is 31

July after the end of the tax year.

If the first deadline is missed,

HMRC will send out a notice

stating that the claim is being

cancelled. If you’ve missed the

first deadline, there is a final

returning the annual declaration. To

do so, you’ll need to send a letter to

HMRC, along with the completed

annual declaration form, and explain

the reasons for the delay. Ask us for

advice if you are in this situation.

children turning 16

Child Tax Credit automatically stops

on 31 August after your child turns

16. Your child may still qualify but you

need to phone up HMRC to report

what they are doing now they’re 16.

Your over 16’s can continue to qualify

for Child Tax Credits if they are under

20 and in approved education, train-

ing or registered with a careers ser-

vice. Education must be full-time and

can include: Scottish Highers, NVQs

and other vocational qualifications up

to level 3, but not any courses above

HNC level.

Ask us for advice if you’re no longer

getting Child Tax Credits for children

who have turned 16.

Watch Out for Tax Credits Problems