LOCAL SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS MEET TO DISCUSS COST OF LIVING SUPPORT ACROSS STIRLING
Evelyn Tweed MSP is encouraging residents of Stirling to access cost of living support, including checking they are receiving all benefits they’re entitled to, after a roundtable event last month with 16 local organisations.
The meeting, led by Evelyn Tweed, saw representatives from many local organisations including Citizen’s Advice, Start-up Stirling, Stirling Voluntary Enterprise and St Marks Raploch come together to discuss how they can maximise support for people who are struggling to pay bills and get through the winter.
The meeting identified the various financial challenges facing people across Stirling and looked at what lessons can be learnt from last winter, with Social Security Scotland identifying that barriers to support and benefits are a particular challenge. Local organisations agreed that further collaboration will help increase awareness of the support that is available both locally and nationally, and ensure people access all the welfare, financial and employment support that is available to them.
Commenting, Evelyn Tweed MSP said:
“The crisis is still putting immense pressure on households, but by fostering joined-up working through meetings like this one, we can ensure nobody falls through the gaps in this crisis. We have so many organisations in Stirling doing excellent work to support people and it was great to hear first-hand about their work and the challenges they face.
“There are currently a number of benefits that could make a big difference to many lives that remain undersubscribed, with people missing out on benefits such as child benefit, pension credit and free bus travel for under-22s.
“As many people across Stirling return to their jobs following the festive break, its important to remember that those in part-time and full-time work also qualify for Scottish Government benefits. In Scotland, around one in three people getting Universal Credit are in work, and Universal Credit is a benefit that qualifies you for several other payments. Scottish Child Payment is one of Scotland’s five family payments that many working families on lower incomes are eligible for, while young people are entitled to free bus travel as well as the Job Start Payment.
“I am hopeful that by working together, local organisations will be able to support the people of Stirling this winter to get access to every bit of support available. I encourage my constituents to look online at what benefits you might be entitled to at Social Security Scotland – Benefits, or use the Citizen Advice benefits tool online.
Tracy Duff from Stirling Voluntary Enterprise said:
“SVE were delighted to be invited to participate in the roundtable event. It was interesting to hear from such a diverse group of attendees, listening to success stories and discussing potential upcoming challenges and how these could be addressed. The enthusiasm from attendees to come together and plan a coordinated and effective approach to winter support is very encouraging and will ensure that everyone is aware of resources available to them in the community. SVE would be more than happy to be involved and support community groups moving forward.”
Barry Hughes from St Marks Church, Raploch said:
“We appreciated the opportunity to sit down with Evelyn to discuss the ongoing challenges of the cost-of-living crisis. In many ways we face a perfect storm this winter – more folk than ever coming to us at St Mark’s (and many other organisations) looking for help, whilst funding for charities and other groups is tighter than ever. Working with, and sharing knowledge with, other groups as we did last month with Evelyn is vital for us to carry on offering the services we do”
A follow up meeting is being planned for the Spring. If your organisation would like to get involved, please contact Evelyn.Tweed.MSP@Parliament.scot
Stirling residents can use this online tool to check their eligibility for benefits: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/what-benefits-can-i-get/
Reach out to Social Security Scotland here: 0800 182 2222
