Help available to boost family incomes

A new campaign will encourage families living on a low income to access local support with finances and work.

It encourages people to take the first step towards relieving these pressures with help from the Parent Club website. This can guide them towards tailored support to help them improve their situation by starting work after unemployment, returning to work or improving earnings.

The campaign which includes TV, radio and online advertising, highlights the pressures of everyday life and shows parents feeling the ‘walls closing in’ on them as they juggle family life with bills and other costs.

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: 

“We understand the anxiety and stress, that low-income families could be living with and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is likely to be making even worse.

“Parent Club can guide people to free and confidential tailored advice from local authority employment services, where they can access support relevant to their own work and family situation.

“It also offers information on how to get help from the Money Talk Team who can advise on areas such as maximising income and dealing with debt. Parent Club also provides sources of support with mental health and stress. 

“Tackling child poverty is our national mission. We want to make sure parents know what help is out there and claim any support they should be getting.” 

Chair of Dundee’s Discover Work Partnership Simon Hewitt said:

“Parental Employment Support empowers parents to progress towards new or improved employment.  The support is delivered in Dundee by ENABLE Works, Barnardo’s, One Parent Families Scotland and Volunteering Matters, with each organisation bringing their own specialist knowledge and experience.

“Parents can access a variety of support including financial and benefit advice, childcare options, careers guidance, work placements, training and upskill funds, and on-going support from a trained mentor.  Support can also be provided to employers to discuss and agree family friendly approaches. 

“Dundee’s Parental Employment Support is part of our wider Discover Work Service, which provides a range of employability support for all local customers.”

Citizens Advice Scotland CEO Derek Mitchell said:

“When times are difficult it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by bills mounting up - but our advice is free, confidential, and impartial.

“The Citizens Advice network is working with the Scottish Government to deliver the Money Talk Team service. We can check to see what payments you might be missing out on or any cheaper deals are available to you. If you are struggling with debt we can help with that too.

“Don’t delay, you could be missing out on money that could make a huge difference to you and your family’s finances.”

Background

The campaign website Money & Work | Parent Club provides a one-stop route to help from local authority employability schemes. It also highlights help offered through Citizens Advice Scotland’s Money Talk Team, including support to ensure parents are claiming all the benefits and one-off payments they may be entitled to.

Best Start, Bright Futures: Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2022 to 2026 is the second tackling child poverty delivery plan and sets out how the Scottish Government and partners across Scotland plan to address poverty through increasing incomes from work and earnings, reducing household costs and maximising incomes from social security and benefits.