Seasonal message tosave onwaste

Residents in Perth and Kinross are being urged to ‘eat seasonally’.

Perth and Kinross Council says that focusing on seasonal ingredients can help people lower food miles, reduce packaging and help the environment, save money, and support local farms and businesses.

Food will also be fresher because it will not have travelled for so long to get to a shop.

A spokesperson said: “In Scotland, householders throw away around 566,000 tonnes of food every year.

“Most of this is food that was still safe to eat when it was thrown in the general waste bin. If everyone stopped throwing away stilledible food, it would save the same amount of carbon as taking one in five cars off British roads.

“The average Perth and Kinross household fills one third of their general waste bin with food waste - and most of that food is still edible.

“There are lots of ways to reduce avoidable food waste, including by planning the food shop, storing food best so that it lasts longest and finding recipes to use up all the ingredients in the kitchen, so that householders can save money on food shopping and help to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill.”

For more ideas about how to eat more seasonally, visit www.pkc.gov.uk/ wastelesssavemore

Question: We have a young family and are really struggling to afford the more expensive purchases that we sometimes need to make for our children. Is there any help for us above the usual benefits?

Answer: Social Security Scotland offer the Best Start Scheme which includes three different grants. These may be of help.

You can apply for one of the grants if a child is the right age, you are their main carer and you receive certain benefits.You must also live in Scotland to qualify. It does not matter whether you are in or out of work. If you qualify, you can receive more than one of the types of grant at the same time.

Firstly, there is the Pregnancy and Baby Grant.You can apply from 24 weeks into the pregnancy up to when the baby is six months. If you have taken over the care of a baby from someone else then you can apply until the baby is one year old.

If coronavirus disruption has delayed a claim being made before the baby reaches the relevant age, then you can still apply and a claim will be considered. The grant for the first child is £600 and grants of £300 are made for other children within your family who qualify. Extra payments are made if you are pregnant or give birth to more than one baby. Step children are included as family.

If, unfortunately, a baby dies or is stillborn then the grant payment can still be made to help the family manage the costs of their bereavement but an application should be made within six months.

The next of the three grants is the Early Learning Payment. This is for children aged two to three and a half and is £250 for each eligible child. Again, if coronavirus disruption has taken the child beyond the correct age, a claim will still be considered.

Finally, there is the School Age Payment. This is £250 per child. For most children you can apply for a School Age Payment from June 1 before they start school until the end