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The Courier
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Fife organisation looks back on a year of helping to tackle homelessness
A year on, Trust in Fife looks back on a year full of achievements. Learn more and see if you or someone you know could use their services. Some Courier online content is funded by outside parties. The revenue from this helps to sustain our independent news gathering. You will always know if you are reading paid-for material as it will be clearly labelled as 'Partnership' on the site and on social media channels, This can take two different forms. This means the content has been paid for and produced by the named advertiser. This means the content has been paid for and approved by the named advertiser but written and edited by our own commercial content team. Fife Private Rental Solutions (FPRS), an ethical letting agent, is part of Trust in Fife, a local housing and homelessness charity base in Fife. Last year, it launched its website. Trust in Fife as an organisation was established on 2008, FPRS was established in 2023. Trust in Fife is an organisation aiming to preventing homelessness and assist in providing access to sustainable accommodation in the Private Rented Sector. The organisation also supports tenants and landlords with problem solving solutions for any housing issues related to private rented properties. Caroline McCall, chief executive office CEO of Trust in Fife, said: 'FPRS strive to support both landlords and tenants, for tenants helping them to find solutions to sustain their tenancies within the private rented sector which in turn will prevent a tenant become homeless. For landlords, offering free advice and guidance and help with paperwork, supports landlords in keeping any additional legal and admin costs down and help FPRS support sustainment and prevent of homelessness.' FRPS has much to be proud of when looking back over the last year. Since 2008, Trust in Fife has bolstered its services that help people across Fife manage and/or access affordable and sustainable accommodation. One of these being the Advanced Income Maximisation scheme, which looks at a full range of services designed to help both landlords and tenants – the Advanced Income Maximisation scheme can look at increasing the income of any client in a private let or looking to obtain a private let. Ben Moffat, Senior Housing consultant said: 'Between April 2022 and April 2025, the Advanced Income Maximisation service assisted 110 clients. The clients were supported to either apply for additional benefits or any additional premiums to existing benefits. At the same time clients were assisted to request backdates to funds that were due. This resulted in backdated funds of £190,442.44 and a monthly increase of £55,925.92.' The organisation has also assisted an estimated 121 landlords, with 11 supported by Letting Agency work and 110 supported by Trust in Fife's 'Prevent' services, receiving advice & guidance in Private Rental Sector. Over the last year the organisation has also worked to update its website. Caroline said: 'We are now advertising through the website as to which properties we are taking through the market to rental. Additionally, we are advertising costs to landlords at a reduced rate for services including managing properties, preparing notices to leave, one-off tasks, paperwork checks and more.' Previous to March 2025, the housing market in the UK and Scotland saw a restriction of rent increases due to the Cost of Living Act. Now in March 2025, the Scottish government has ended that restriction. Landlords are now able to return their properties to 'market level' and some tenants are seeing a large increase in rent. In its dedication to prevent homelessness, Trust in Fife works with tenants using services like the Advanced Income Maximisation Scheme to help mitigate these costs. The organisation also works with landlords to manage expectations and help them optimise profits without losing tenants. Ben said:' Legislation regarding housing and the private rented sector, in Scotland continues to evolve. The new Housing (Scotland) bill will continue to bring about changes. The continued implementation can be complicated to understand and can lead to the landlord acting incorrectly. FPRS continues to support Landlords, Tenants and Agents by providing free, up to date, and uncomplicated housing advice regarding the PRS and how to stay compliant. This information will include setting up a tenancy, how to manage a tenancy, including repairs and rent increases or asking a tenant to leave.' Caroline emphasised that the organisation seeks to help as many people as possible by providing temporary accommodation, housing support on a one-to-one basis, or by hosting workshops that foster independent living skills, money management, healthy cooking and living, and social inclusion. One person who was helped by FRPS said: 'Honestly, I cannot suggest any improvements on what was an amazing experience that has left a very lasting impression on myself the team really went beyond to help me resolve my issue and some. I couldn't be any more thankful.' Are you or is someone you know in need of support? Are you interested in volunteering or learning more about preventing homelessness in Scotland? Learn more about Trust in Fife today.
Edinburgh Reporter
28-04-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
West Lothian pensioners receive targeted advice from Anti-Poverty service
Pensioners in West Lothian have been given help to ensure they qualify for the stricter winter fuel payments. More than 100 OAPs in the county were able to claim more than £28,000 in winter fuel payments following targeted advice from the council's Anti-Poverty Service. Councillor George Paul, chair of the Whitburn and Blackburn Local Area Committee said a report on the service's work in the last year was a 'horrendous read'- but he welcomed the work that was being done. One of the first decisions of the newly elected Labour Government was to scrap the universal £300 winter field payment for pensioners. This winter only those who qualified for pension credit would be eligible for cash help with their heating bills. The Anti-Poverty service used Inbest, an agency which helps individuals and councils understand benefits entitlements and can be used to navigate the application process for benefits. It's a tool to maximize potential benefits. A spokesperson for the council service told the committee: 'The service worked in partnership with an external agency, Inbest, who were able to help identify customers entitled to Pension Credit but not claiming. 'The Department for Work and Pensions approved the reuse of the data we held for this campaign as we were able to anonymise customer details. The benefits team within the Anti-poverty service worked with Inbest and were able to identify 432 households who were in receipt of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction and based on their income should also be claiming Pension Credit but were not.' The spokesperson added: 'The Advice Shop's Pensioner Income Maximisation Team made contact via telephone or letter to carry out Income Maximisation Checks and assist customers to make claims to any benefits identified. 'The engagement rate for this campaign was 55% this included those that were supported, not entitled and those that were not interested in pursuing further. 'From this targeted approach 136 customers have been supported to claim £544,299 in extra benefit outcome throughout West Lothian with 129 claims for the Winter Fuel Payment totalling £28,700 which otherwise may not have been claimed.' The update of the year's work also showed the wider work of the Anti-Poverty Service and Advice shops in Whitburn and Blackburn. In total, 15% of Advice Shop customers in West Lothian came from the Whitburn and Blackburn area. Successful outcomes secured for these customers included: Total financial gains of £2,821,608 million by maximising income from social security benefits and energy efficiency savings of £113,547 through access to financial support and advice Support to deal with £1,123,825 of problem debt resulted in reduction in debt repayments of £512,188 The service also issued 686 emergency food vouchers and 579 fuel vouchers for households at risk of disconnection Councillor Paul said: 'Your report is welcome but when you're reading it is also kind of frightening; the amount of poverty that's in West Lothian. 'It's horrendous reading but it's welcome that something is being done. God knows what would happen to people otherwise.' Just over 2,000 of the 14,000 plus enquiries to the service came from the Whitburn ward last year. SNP Councillor Mary Dickson agreed with Councillor Paul. She said: 'When I read this report it's just dismal. It's sad to see how many people in West Lothian actually need help like this. And it's from all areas, from cancer patients, children, clothing grants. It's really sad. Like George, I'm pleased that someone is there looking out for the people' By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
West Lothian pensioners helped to get vital winter fuel payments
Pensioners in West Lothian have been given help to ensure they qualify for the stricter winter fuel payments. More than 100 OAPs in the county were able to claim more than £28,000 in winter fuel payments following targeted advice from the council's Anti-Poverty Service. Councillor George Paul, chair of the Whitburn and Blackburn Local Area Committee said a report on the service's work in the last year was a 'horrendous read'- but he welcomed the work that was being done. One of the first decisions of the newly elected Labour Government was to scrap the universal £300 winter field payment for pensioners. This winter only those who qualified for pension credit would be eligible for cash help with their heating bills. The Anti-Poverty service used Inbest, an agency which helps individuals and councils understand benefits entitlements and can be used to navigate the application process for benefits. It's a tool to maximize potential benefits. A spokesperson for the council service told the committee: 'The service worked in partnership with an external agency, Inbest, who were able to help identify customers entitled to Pension Credit but not claiming. 'The Department for Work and Pensions approved the reuse of the data we held for this campaign as we were able to anonymise customer details. The benefits team within the Anti-poverty service worked with Inbest and were able to identify 432 households who were in receipt of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction and based on their income should also be claiming Pension Credit but were not.' The spokesperson added: 'The Advice Shop's Pensioner Income Maximisation Team made contact via telephone or letter to carry out Income Maximisation Checks and assist customers to make claims to any benefits identified. 'The engagement rate for this campaign was 55% this included those that were supported, not entitled and those that were not interested in pursuing further. 'From this targeted approach 136 customers have been supported to claim £544,299 in extra benefit outcome throughout West Lothian with 129 claims for the Winter Fuel Payment totalling £28,700 which otherwise may not have been claimed.' The update of the year's work also showed the wider work of the Anti-Poverty Service and Advice shops in Whitburn and Blackburn. In total, 15% of Advice Shop customers in West Lothian came from the Whitburn and Blackburn area. Successful outcomes secured for these customers included: Total financial gains of £2,821,608 million by maximising income from social security benefits and energy efficiency savings of £113,547 through access to financial support and advice Support to deal with £1,123,825 of problem debt resulted in reduction in debt repayments of £512,188 The service also issued 686 emergency food vouchers and 579 fuel vouchers for households at risk of disconnection Councillor Paul said: 'Your report is welcome but when you're reading it is also kind of frightening; the amount of poverty that's in West Lothian. 'It's horrendous reading but it's welcome that something is being done. God knows what would happen to people otherwise.' Just over 2,000 of the 14,000 plus enquiries to the service came from the Whitburn ward last year. SNP Councillor Mary Dickson agreed with Councillor Paul. She said: 'When I read this report it's just dismal. It's sad to see how many people in West Lothian actually need help like this. "And it's from all areas, from cancer patients, children, clothing grants. It's really sad. Like George, I'm pleased that someone is there looking out for the people.' Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here .
