Families living in Cumbernauld may be missing out on topping up their income through various welfare benefits and government initiatives, with Cumbernauld Family Hub raising awareness in this the first of two special information features.
The welfare benefits and service landscape is often a confusing one for parents and guardians, with a number of detailed elements involved and a number of changes made to strategy and entitlement over the years. As a result, many benefits, grants and useful initiatives often go under the radar and the complexities of the system means there are thousands of families either unaware of monies they can claim for or opportunities that they can access.
To support local parents in this area, Cumbernauld Family Hub has compiled the below information update highlighting ten schemes that may be of interest to or directly benefit families living in the Cumbernauld area.
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10 KEY SCHEMES OR INITIATIVES THAT CAN BENEFIT CUMBERNAULD FAMILIES
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1. The Pregnancy and Baby Grant
This is a payment of £600 issued by Scottish Government for your first baby, and £300 for every other child after that. You also get an extra £300 in the event of a multiple birth, for example if you have twins.
If you are aged over 19, you will be eligible if you or your partner get any of the following benefits: Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax or Working Tax Credits. If you are under 19, the person you live with (i.e. a parent or carer) must claim one of these benefits.
You can apply from week 24 of your pregnancy until the baby is six months old.
How to apply: Visit www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant or telephone 0800 182 2222
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2. The Nursery and Early Learning Grant
This is a payment of £250 issued by Scottish Government when your child reaches the age of two, to help with the cost of toys, books and outings. You must apply before your child turns three-and-a-half. Like the Pregnancy and Baby Grant, you need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
How to apply: Visit www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant or telephone 0800 182 2222
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3. The School Age Grant
This is a payment of £250 issued by Scottish Government when your child is of school age, before starting P1, providing their date of birth falls between specific dates. In 2019, you qualify if your child was born between 1 March 2014 and 28 February 2015. Like the Pregnancy and Baby Grant, you also need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
How to apply: Visit www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant or telephone 0800 182 2222
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4. Help with School Meals and Clothing Grants
Free school meals are available to all children from P1 to P3. After that, you may get help with meals and school wear from North Lanarkshire Council. To qualify, you must meet one of the following critera: be in receipt of a means-tested benefit, be in receipt of Universal Credit and your household must earn less than £610 in the month before your application, receive Child Tax Credits (if your total annual income is £16,105 or less) or receive Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits, if your annual income is less than £6,900 – but in that case you only get help with school meals not school wear.
The school wear award is £100 and is paid differently to our bank account. You will need to provide benefit award letters as proof of income.
How to apply: Visit www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5452 or telephone 01698 403203
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5. Best Start Foods
You may be eligible for help towards the cost of healthy foods as part of a new Scottish scheme, called Best Start Foods, which replaces Healthy Start Vouchers. For every child under the age of three, £17 is credited onto a smartcard every four weeks to pay for basic foods like milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen or tinned), eggs and pulses. If you have a baby under one, you with get £34 every four weeks. You can also get free vitamin supplements during pregnancy and the baby’s first year.
To quality, you must be in receipt of one of the following benefits (unless you’re under 18 and pregnant, in which case you’ll qualify regardless of income): income Support or income-based JSA or ESA, Housing Benefit or Child Tax Credit, but only if your annual family income is £16,190 or less, Child Tax and Working Tax Credits together if your annual family income is less than £6,420 or Universal Credit, but only if your family take home pay is £610 or less per month.
How to apply: Visit www.mygov.scot/benefits or telephone 0800 182 2222
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6. Child Benefit
Nearly everyone qualifies for Child Benefit, the only exceptions being for high earners or people subject to immigration control. You can claim Child Benefit as soon as you’ve registered the birth of your child, or they come to live with you.
How to apply: Visit www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit or telephone 0300 200 3103
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7. Other Means-Tested Benefits
You may qualify for Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits or Universal Credit, including help with childcare costs. How much you will get depends on your circumstances and your income.
For advice or information: Visit www.cumbernauldcab.org.uk or telephone 01236 723201
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8. Employer Childcare Vouchers
Some employers offer childcare vouchers instead of cash pay. However, some people may be better off claiming Working Tax Credits or Universal Credit instead.
For advice or information: Use the online calculator www.hmrc.gov.uk/calcs/ccin.htm or telephone 01236 723201
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9. A Free Nursery Place
All children can get a funded part-time place at a North Lanarkshire Council nursery, or funding towards a place at a private one, when the child is three or four years-old. You can get up to 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year (around 16 hours a week in term time) regardless of your income. This will increase to 1,140 hours in August 2020.
You may also get funded hours if your child is aged two but only if you claim certain benefits, such as a means-tested benefit, Universal Credit (if you earn less than £610 per month, net), Child Tax Credits (if your total annual income is £16,105 or less), or Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits (if your annual income is less than £6,841).
For advice or information: Visit www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5255 or telephone 01236 812281
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10. The Bookbug Scheme and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Bookbug is a Scotland-wide programme providing opportunities for parents of babies, toddlers and pre-school children to share stories, songs and rhymes in a safe and friendly environment. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free monthly books in the post for families of pre-school aged children.
Cornerstone House Centre provides both of these services free of charge for families living in the Cumbernauld area.
For advice or information: Visit www.cornerstone-house.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Bookbug-Poster-Generic.pdf or telephone 01236 739220
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Look out for part two of Cumbernauld Family Hub’s special feature early next week, where we will be focusing on key information specifically for new parents.
For further information or advice, please contact Cornerstone House Centre on 01236 739220 or email familyhub@cornerstone-house.org.uk.