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I look after my mother and I get Carer’s Allowance. I don’t have any other income or savings. Someone told me I’d be better off claiming Universal Credit but that I’d have to look for work, and someone else said to stay on Carer’s Allowance because I’ll get extra payments from the Scottish Government. What should I do?
You can do both.
As you get Carer’s Allowance (and live in Scotland) you will be paid a Carer’s Allowance Supplement twice a year. To qualify, you just need to have been getting Carer’s Allowance on the ‘qualifying days’. For 2020, those days are April 13 and October 12.
Each Supplement of £230.10 is paid automatically with payment coming two months after the qualifying days.
In addition, Social Security Scotland is making an extra payment in recognition of the difficulties carers have experienced due to coronavirus. If you were receiving Carer’s Allowance on 13th April this year, you will get an extra £230.10 along with the regular payment in June.
You can apply for Universal Credit to top up your Carer’s Allowance to the level the government has set for people with caring responsibilities. If you are under 25 you will receive the equivalent of an extra £49.44 per week, with that amount increasing to £64.94 if you are 25 or older. (You will be paid the Universal Credit monthly).
If you live with a partner, then you both have to claim UC and you should seek further advice about this.
You can work and earn up to
£128 but, because of the caring commitment, you will not actually be asked to look for work in order to get Universal Credit.
I had received an offer of housing from a housing association which I accepted just before lockdown, when I was told I’d have to wait. The landlord in my private let agreed to let me stay on for a bit after my notice had ended, but now want me out as soon as possible. The housing association are still saying I can’t move in even though they say they there are no repairs outstanding. What do I do?
From a practical point of view, you may be able to remain in your private let for now. Hearings at the Housing and Property Chamber (HPC) are not currently taking place, so there is no mechanism for a landlord to obtain a repossession order from the HPC. A landlord must obtain an order to legally evict a tenant in Scotland.
However, it sounds like your remaining in this private let would be an unsatisfactory situation for everyone involved. The Scottish Government have released coronavirus guidance for social landlords which recognises just how crucial it is that empty properties continue to be allocated wherever they can be.
This can be accessed on the Scottish Government website. It may be worth pointing this out to the housing association and finding out what practical problems they feel there are with your move.
Come back to us if you need further help moving forward.
I have been off work and furloughed since mid-March when my work shut down. My boss is now talking about starting back with shorter opening times from July, and wants to consult the staff about going back on reduced hours. I am concerned that I can’t afford to agree to this, and don’t want a permanent change to my contract. Can they force this through?
If there is to be a fundamental change to your contract of employment like a permanent reduction in hours, then
Children and protected adults in Paisley will be better protected under new legislation, the Scottish Government says.
The Disclosure (Scotland) Bill, which has passed its final stage in the Scottish Parliament, aims to transform how criminal record disclosures operate and improve the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. this is something that you would have to agree to. It is very important that, when objecting to a change, you take active steps to resolve the matter, through the grievance procedure for example.
You can’t just raise an objection at the time and work on, as without taking ongoing action you may be deemed to have accepted the change in your contract.
However, that may not be what is happening here.
The new “furlough” rules mean that from July 1, your employer can have staff return on a part time basis (and pay them as normal for those hours) and continue to make furlough payments at 80 per cent (minimum) for the other hours usually worked.
This should be a way of building up business hours to full capacity without having to change staff contracts.
Discuss this with your employer, but seek further advice if he is trying to effect a permanent change, as objecting can be complicated.
Under the new legislation, PVG Scheme membership will be mandatory for those carrying out regulated roles with children and adults, including individuals working in sports, for example, youth coaches and agents.
Minister for Children and Young People Maree Todd said:“This government is committed to policies which balance public protection with the right to move on from past offences.
“The 2018 public consultation confirmed the PVG Scheme is greatly valued but highlighted proportionality and complexity in the disclosure system as key issues.
“Introducing a mandatory PVG Scheme will close the safeguarding gap surrounding those few roles which are eligible for PVG scheme membership but the employer chooses not to require proof of scheme membership.
“The new legislation recognises adolescence as a unique phase of life and delivers on our commitment to affording everyone a better chance to overcome early adversities, including youth offending, in order to allow them to become productive and valued citizens in adulthood.”