Benefits & payments
Information about benefits, payments or support with work.
Cost of Living Payments
You could get different Cost of Living Payments if you get certain low income benefits or tax credits.
Check if you can get Cost of Living Payments
Scottish Child Payment
If you’re on a low income, you could get a weekly payment of £20 for every child you look after under 6 years old.
Check if you can get Scottish Child Payment
Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods
You could get payments form Social Security Scotland to help towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a child.
Check if you can get Best Start Grant or Best Start Foods
Universal Credit
You could get Universal Credit if you’re on a low income, out of work or cannot work.
Check if you can get Universal Credit
Pension Credit
You could get Pension Credit if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income.
Check if you can get Pension Credit
Carer’s Allowance
You could get £69.70 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get certain benefits.
Check if you can get Carer’s Allowance
Carer’s Allowance Supplement
Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment to help carers in Scotland who get Carer’s Allowance.
Check if you can get Carer’s Allowance Supplement
Scottish Welfare Fund
You could get a Crisis Grant if you need financial help in an emergency or a Community Care Grant if you need help living in your community.
Check if you can get a grant from the Scottish Welfare Fund
Self-Isolation Support Grant
If you’re a low paid worker and need to stay home due to Covid you may qualify for the Self-Isolation Support Grant.
Check if you qualify for the Self-Isolation Support Grant
Funeral Support Payment
Funeral Support Payment can help pay for funeral costs. It will not usually cover the full cost of a funeral but can help towards it.
Check who could get Funeral Support Payment
Benefits calculators
Check what benefits you could be entitled to.
Don’t miss out on what you could be entitled to. Contact the Edinburgh City Council’s Advice Shop for a benefit check or use one of the benefit calculators below to find out what your entitlements are.
Call: 0131 200 2360
Or email: advice.shop@edinburgh.gov.uk
Turn2Us
This is a UK charity that is working to end poverty.
You can run a benefit check on their calculator
Entitled To
This is a service that provides specialist resources about benefit entitlement.
You can run a benefit check using their free calculator
Support with work
Support you could get with work, training and funding.
Job Start Payment
If you’re a young person or care leaver you may be able to apply for this payment to help with the costs of starting a new job.
Check who can apply for Job Start Payment
Find a job
Check the different ways you can find a job. Including full-time, part-time and Modern Apprentices.
Personalised job support
If you’re looking for a new job or thinking about making a change, answer a few questions to get personalised advice and support.
Fair Start Scotland: help to find a job
Fair Start Scotland is an employment support service which helps people living in Scotland to find work.
Check what help you could get to find a job
Tax relief on work expenses
You could claim income tax relief on money you’ve spent on things like work uniform and clothing, tools and business travel.
Clam income tax relief for work expenses
Are you getting the right pay?
If you work and are 23 or over, your employer must pay you at least £9.50 per hour. The amount is different if you’re under 23 or in certain situations.
Check you’re getting the right pay
Scottish Living Wage employers
The Scottish Living Wage is £10.90 per hour (18 and over). It’s higher than the National Living Wage and voluntary paid by some employers.
Check employers who pay the Scottish Living Wage
Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card
If you’re unemployed and get Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit, you could get 50% off some rail and bus travel.
Read more about the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card
Parental Employability Support Fund
The fund can give support for parents facing barriers in their careers. Support could include help getting qualifications, improving skills and work experience.
Read more about the Parental Employability Support Fund
Apprenticeships
You can find out about different types of apprenticeship you can do with Skills Development Scotland.
Find out more about apprenticeships
Young Person’s Guarantee
If you’re 16 to 24 you can get help into work, education, training, volunteering or with enterprise opportunities.
Find out about Young Person’s Guarantee
National Insurance changes
Use this tool to estimate of how changes to National Insurance contributions will affect you.