Dumfries and Galloway families receive more than £1million to heat their homes through winter
More than £1million was paid out to help families across Dumfries and Galloway heat their homes last winter. And the figures from Social Security Scotland show more than 14,000 payments were made in the region. The stats show there were 13,395 Winter Heating Payments made, which totalled £787,000. The payment is made automatically to people who receive certain benefits, including households with young children, disabled people or older people. A further 1,075 Child Winter Heating Payments were made, totalling £271,000. This scheme was introduced by the Scottish Government in November 2020. Only available in Scotland, it is paid once a year to children and young people if they are under 19 and receive certain benefits. Across the country, £37.3million in payments were made to more than half a million families. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'We have issued over 505,100 payments to families on low incomes, and those supporting children or young people with a disability, to help with the cost of heating their homes. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. 'Many people are struggling with the cost of living crisis and higher energy bills. The importance of these payments was brought home to everyone this month with the energy price cap rising by 6.4 per cent. Ofgem estimates that this will add £9.25 a month to the typical household's energy bill. 'This year we will also be providing extra support to pensioners. While the DWP's Winter Fuel Payment will only be available to some pensioners, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will provide money to every pensioner household in the country. 'The Scottish Government will continue to protect pensioners and people on low incomes in Scotland.'
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Daily Record
19 hours ago
- Daily Record
Attendance Allowance rules older people must know or £441 DWP payments could stop
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You should also consider reporting a change if you need more help or supervision throughout the day or night and have: a mental health condition learning difficulties a sensory condition - if you are deaf or blind You can contact the Attendance Allowance helpline on 0800 731 0122, Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. Full details about reporting a change can be found on the website here. There are more than 50 physical or mental health conditions being supported by Attendance Allowance and even if you're already claiming for one of these, another may have developed or your current condition may have become more debilitating. Health issues supported by Attendance Allowance Support is also provided for People who are terminally ill. 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Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Waters of Life: A Fight for Scotland's Beavers by Tom Bowser review: 'a story of hope'
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Family is a running theme in Tom Bowser's new book Waters of Life: A Fight for Scotland's Beavers. The families of beavers on his land, his family's involvement with them and the conservation family he formed when bringing the rodents to his farm in Perthshire. These personal references and relationships are part of an emotive and raw account of the author's experience of being the first landowner in Scotland to legally relocate beavers to spare some of the animals the bullet, which sounds to have been desperately challenging at times. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Going for a swim. Once Bowser had decided he wanted the rodents living in the suitable habitat he could provide, just a few kilometres from where they were causing upset in farming territory, you would think it would have been fairly straightforward to move them, especially given they would likely move there anyway. But no, not with the Scottish Government, where, as many in both the food production and conservation worlds know, the level of bureaucracy sometimes seems to know no bounds. Perhaps we need a few hypothetical dams in the never-ending river of red tape to help trickle through clearer solutions. READ MORE: Watch the first beaver kits in 400 years born in the wild in Scottish national park While a proportion of the book focuses on the lengthy legislative nightmare Bowser had to go through in order to complete what seemed like a pretty logical move, the story also brings into sharp focus the dark underbelly of conservation on the ground and some of the infighting that goes on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bowser's dedication to his cause is admirable, and his devotion to the rodents only seems to grow with every page, to the point where the book really becomes an ode to the beaver. Tom Bowser, right, with James Nairne of the Scottish Wild Beaver Group The reputation of these animals being ecosystem engineers is brought to life with the author's almost fairy-tale-like descriptions of how his land is transformed by them, boasting ponds teeming with insect life and birdsong filling the air. The sense of wonder is added to with anecdotes of people's 'first beaver experiences', including his young daughter's. With the author being a former farmer, I was looking forward to there being a bit more of a measured voice in what is now a highly polarised debate. However, I was a little disappointed to find out that this was not the case - indeed, a fair chunk of the book plays to the predictable 'angry farmer' vs 'save the day conservationists' narrative. Judging by the author's account it certainly sounds as if these stereotypes played out in this case, from the disproportionately high cull numbers despite 'last resort' rules, to the fraught village hall meetings. But the sympathetic tone he deploys when talking about rewilder Derek Gow's 'f*** it' attitude when it comes to releasing wild animals, plus the absence of some voices from the farming community who are working hard on nature-friendly solutions, doesn't help encourage resolution. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are some sound ecological points made, and Bowser's story is certainly one of hope for the species to find homes in other parts of Scotland, with translocations a solution over culls. But there's an elephant in the room: what happens when numbers increase? When beavers were last in Britain before being driven to extinction, which the book also gives an interesting history lesson on, research shows there was a population of about 4 million people. Now, there are about 70 million of us. Rural Scotland is also seeing a major industrial revolution in the race for Net Zero with pylons, windfarms, hydro schemes, plans for hydrogen plants near rivers and commercial forestry, on top of the development that happened in the last industrial revolution and since. It's a very different world to the one beavers were initially pushed out of. Bavaria is helpfully mentioned as a place for Scotland to look to for its beaver situation. But while the book mentions they have more than a thousand beaver officers to help with mitigation, which would be great here, the narrative appears to leave out discussions on how the German region culls about eight per cent of the population every year, too. Bowser's story seems to shy away from some of these hard truths. Waters of Life: A Fight for Scotland's Beavers, by Tom Bowser, Birlinn, £14.99
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Thousands of carers in Scotland to get £293 extra payment next week
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Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville recently said: 'This benefit was the first that we introduced when we formed Social Security Scotland back in 2018. It's an additional payment to recognise the important contribution of unpaid carers in Scotland. A payment not made anywhere else in the UK. 'It's another example of how we've built a radically different social security system in Scotland, with dignity, fairness and respect at its heart.' Claire Cairns, Director at The Coalition of Carers in Scotland added: 'At a time when many carers are struggling to pay the bills, while providing essential support to loved ones, this payment is a vital acknowledgment of their role and a much-needed financial boost that helps ease some of the pressure they face every day.' If a carer is eligible for Carer's Allowance Supplement but has not received a letter or payment by June 30, 2025, they should contact Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222. December 2025 payment The next Carer's Allowance Supplement payment will be issued in December 2025. People will qualify for this payment if they were in receipt of Carer Support Payment or Carer's Allowance on October 13, 2025. Similar to the summer payment, letters will be issued by Social Security Scotland before the money is due to land in bank accounts. If you, or someone you know, is providing at least 35 hours of unpaid care for a friend, family member or neighbour, and not claiming Carer Support Payment, you could be missing out on nearly £5,000 this year. Am I eligible for Carer Support Payment? Carer Support Payment is money you can get if you provide care for someone and meet certain eligibility criteria. You must: be 16 or over usually live in Scotland provide care for 35 hours or more a week, this includes if you provide care all day every day not earn more than £196 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses The person you care for must already get one of these benefits: Adult Disability Payment – daily living component Child Disability Payment – middle or highest rate care component Pension Age Disability Payment Attendance Allowance Personal Independence Payment – daily living component Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance - middle or highest rate care component Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest rate care component Constant Attendance Allowance at or above normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension Armed Forces Independence Payment You can find out more about how it might affect other payments here. The type of care you provide To get Carer Support Payment, you must provide care for someone as an unpaid carer for 35 hours or more a week. It cannot be care you provide: as a professional care worker through a volunteering scheme or charity Even if you do not think of yourself as an unpaid carer, you might be eligible for Carer Support Payment. Examples of caring for someone include supporting them: with their mental health during an illness with a disability if they have an addiction Supporting someone with their mental health If you provide care for someone with a mental health condition, you might: comfort them during a panic attack stay close by so they do not feel alone support them through a crisis make sure they're safe keep them company Supporting someone with an illness or disability If you provide care for someone with an illness or disability, you might support them with: getting around getting dressed taking medicines using the shower or toilet cooking meals food shopping translating The person you provide care for You might provide care for: someone in your family a friend a neighbour You do not have to live with them or be related to them. You can only apply for Carer Support Payment for one person. If you provide care for more people, you are not entitled to extra payments. You can check if you are eligible for Carer Support Payment and find full details on the devolved benefit on the website here.
