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Our online Council Tax services

(myaccount and some online forms) will be unavailable from 5pm Sunday 31 March to Tuesday 2 April due to essential maintenance.

Money Matters Advice Service

Benefit advice

Welfare benefits can be difficult to understand and overwhelming if you are claiming yourself.  We have Benefit Advisers and Welfare Rights Officers who can help you with the following:

  • Full benefit entitlement check
  • General benefit advice
  • Completion of benefit and Tax Credit applications
  • Appealing benefit decisions along with advice and representation with appeals
  • ‘Into work’ calculations if you are changing your working hours or returning to work
  • Liaising with Scottish Government, Tax Credits and DWP on your behalf
  • Referring to other services where required

Details on current benefit and pension rates can be found on the Government website.

You can also check your entitlement to means tested benefits on the entitledto website.

Our Money is not the only problem online resource also provides information on the range of support available regarding finances and wellbeing. 

Benefits available

For more information on the range of benefits available, please access the relevant sections using the buttons below.

To contact one of our team, please complete our online enquiry form and someone will contact you within the next five working days. Alternatively, you can contact us using the contact details shown on this page.

Dealing with a bereavement can be difficult, along with the added stress of dealing with paperwork and confusing information. 

The following websites may help:

If you have suffered a bereavement and need advice on the benefits available, please contact us using the contact details shown on this page.

Certain benefits are available for those with caring responsibilities.  This can be a sole benefit or a top up to an existing benefit.  Sometimes claiming these benefits can affect the person you are caring for. You should always seek advice before claiming.

The following websites may help:

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any advice or help to make a claim.

Many 16 and 17 year-olds who have left local authority care cannot get Universal Credit or other income related benefits as the local authority is responsible for providing financial and housing support. However, there are exceptions to this, so please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any advice on how to apply for these benefits.  

The following websites may help:

There are a range of benefits available for customers who are disabled or have health problems. Some of these benefits can passport you to additional benefits and elements.

The following websites may help:

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any advice or help.

There are a range of benefits available for those looking for work, temporarily unable to work or for those on a low income. These may be paid as income replacements, income top up’s or as crisis payments depending on your situation. Many have additional elements that can be added on or can passport you onto other benefits.

You may also be able to apply for help with your Council Tax, mortgage or rent (for existing claimants or in certain circumstances).

The following websites may help:

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any advice or help applying for benefit.

There are different benefits and a range of support available for those who have retired. If you are on a low income or are suffering from ill-health, please review the other sections on this page for full information. The following websites may help:

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any help or advice.

There are various benefits and support available if you are pregnant, have recently had a child or have children. We can also provide advice on benefits available for children with health issues. If you have a child attending nursery or school, there are a number of benefits available to help with these costs.

The following websites may help:

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any help or advice.

If you were not born in the UK and are living in Scotland, immigration advice and benefit entitlement can be very confusing. The following websites may help:   

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you require any further information. We can advise on available options and if necessary, refer you on for more specialist advice.

There are various benefits and support available for students.

The following websites may help:

Please contact us using the contact details shown on this page if you need any advice or help.

If you have an enquiry on student income or a student loan, you should contact your college or university directly.

Universal Credit supports those on a low income (in or out of work) and replaces the benefits listed below (along with Tax Credits) with a single monthly payment. If you make a claim for Universal Credit and you are in receipt of any of the benefits below, these will stop:

  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits

Universal Credit is claimed online. You can also check your entitlement online.

What you will need to make your claim:

  • your own email address and mobile number (if claiming as a couple, this will be required for each applicant)
  • your landlord’s name and address and the amount of rent you pay
  • your Bank, Building Society or Credit Union account details (for your payment to be made)
  • details of anyone who lives with you
  • childcare provider’s details and the amount you pay (if relevant)
  • details of any savings or investments
  • details of any wage or other income you receive
  • proof of ID

What happens when you apply:

  • payment will be made 5 weeks after you submit your claim
  • for late applicants, you can ask for your claim to be backdated up to one month. This must be requested the week before your payment is due
  • you will receive a telephone or face to face appointment with your local Jobcentre to verify your ID, income and Housing Costs
  • you will receive a telephone or face to face appointment with your work coach to agree your claimant commitment which you must accept for the benefit to be awarded
  • you can access an advance payment when you claim, which is up to one month of your expected award. This is a loan and payable via deductions over 48 months
  • payments are monthly but you can request these to be twice monthly
  • you can ask Universal Credit to pay your rent directly to your landlord

What you must do to maintain payments:

  • report any changes in circumstances as they happen
  • check your journal regularly
  • attend all appointments arranged (to avoid being sanctioned)
  • complete any requested actions within the timescale given
  • report any errors in your payment as soon as possible

South Lanarkshire residents must make a separate claim for Council Tax Reduction. If you have a spare room or you have been affected by the Benefit Cap, you can also apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment .

Universal Credit can be complex. If you need help with calculating entitlement, making a claim, managing your account or challenging a decision, please contact us using the contact details shown on this page.

Alternatively, you can call the Universal Credit Service Centre on 0800 328 5644.

Money Matters Advice Service

Phoneline opening times: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9am-4pm, Wed 11am-4pm

Phone: 0300 029 0041