Support Directory for Families, Authority Staff and Partner Agencies
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1 From mountain to sea Aberdeenshirep Support Directory for Families, Authority Staff and Partner Agencies December 2017 2 | Contents 1 BENEFITS 3 2 CHILDCARE AND RESPITE 23 3 COMMUNITY ACTION 43 4 COMPLAINTS 50 5 EDUCATION AND LEARNING 63 6 Careers 81 7 FINANCIAL HELP 83 8 GENERAL SUPPORT 103 9 HEALTH 180 10 HOLIDAYS 194 11 HOUSING 202 12 LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE 218 13 NATIONAL AND LOCAL SUPPORT GROUPS (SPECIFIC CONDITIONS) 223 14 SOCIAL AND LEISURE OPPORTUNITIES 405 15 SOCIAL WORK 453 16 TRANSPORT 458 SEARCH INSTRUCTIONS 1. Right click on the document and select the word ‘Find’ (using a left click) 2. A dialogue box will appear at the top right hand side of the page 3. Enter the search word to the dialogue box and press the return key 4. The first reference will be highlighted for you to select 5. If the first reference is not required, return to the dialogue box and click below it on ‘Next’ to move through the document, or ‘previous’ to return 1 BENEFITS 1.1 Advice for Scotland (Citizens Advice Bureau) Information on benefits and tax credits for different groups of people including: Unemployed, sick or disabled people; help with council tax and housing costs; national insurance; payment of benefits; problems with benefits. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk 1.2 Attendance Allowance Eligibility You can get Attendance Allowance if you’re 65 or over and the following apply: you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, e.g. blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety Use the benefits adviser online to check your eligibility. https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/eligibility 1.3 Benefits Offices – Aberdeenshire Council Our Benefit Section is available to deal with your enquiry, Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Home Visits: We can arrange to provide you with a home visit if you are unable to visit us in person. Please contact us so that we can arrange this for you Contact Email: [email protected] Phone: 08456 08 01 49 Address: PO Box 18533, Inverurie, AB51 5WX Benefit Offices: If you wish to speak to someone in person regarding your Benefit enquiry, please visit one of our offices below. No appointments are required. Offices are open Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Banff: The Town House, Low Street, Banff AB45 1AY Fax: 01261 813228 Fraserburgh 88 Commerce Street, Fraserburgh AB43 9LP Fax: 01346 516055 Inverurie Gordon House, Blackhall Road, Inverurie AB51 3WA 4 | Fax: 01467 628304 Peterhead 51 Broad Street, Peterhead AB42 1JL Fax: 01779 483205 Stonehaven Housing Office, 16-22 Allardice Street, Stonehaven AB39 2BR Fax: 01569 763883 http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk 1.4 Benefits to help with Council Tax, Rent and Mortgages Council Tax Benefit Payable if your income and savings are below a certain level. This is a means tested benefit and is determined not only by your income but by who lives with you. Housing Benefit If you are liable to pay rent and are on a low income you may be entitled to Housing Benefit. Forms can be obtained from Aberdeenshire Council Telephone 08456 08 01 Or you can also write to PO Box 18533, Inverurie, AB51 5WX. The Council’s form is a combined Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit application so you will only be required to complete one form. http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk Aberdeen City Council Revenues and Benefits, Aberdeen City Council, Business Hub 16, Marischal College, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1AB Phone: 08456 080921 or 01224 219 283 Email: [email protected] http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk 1.5 Blind Person’s Allowance Eligibility Scotland and Northern Ireland If you’re unable to perform work for which eyesight is essential, you can claim Blind Person’s Allowance https://www.gov.uk/blind-persons-allowance/eligibility 1.6 Carer’s allowance You might get Carer’s Allowance if you: are 16 or over spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone have been in the UK or the Isle of Man for at least 26 weeks in the 12 months before you claim are in the UK when you claim - there are some exceptions, e.g. members and family members of the Armed Forces aren’t subject to immigration control https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility 1.7 Child Benefit Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. You normally qualify for Child Benefit if you’re responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training) and you live in the UK. You’ll usually be responsible for a child if you live with them or you’re paying at least the same amount as Child Benefit (or the equivalent in kind) towards looking after them. Contributions can include: money clothes birthday and Christmas presents food pocket money Child Benefit continues for 20 weeks if 16 or 17 year olds leave education or training and register with the armed services or a government-sponsored careers service. Eligibility rules are different if your child: goes into hospital or care lives with someone else Adoptions and fostering Apply for Child Benefit as soon as any child you’re adopting comes to live with you - you don’t have to wait until the adoption process is complete. The nationality of the child doesn’t affect whether you’re entitled to Child Benefit or not. You might be able to get Child Benefit for a period before the adoption - contact the Child Benefit Office to find out. If you foster a child, you’ll get Child Benefit if the local council isn’t paying anything towards the child’s accommodation or maintenance. 6 | Looking after someone else’s child You may be able to get Child Benefit if you’ve got an informal arrangement to look after a friend or relative’s child. You might not qualify if your local council is paying towards the child’s accommodation or maintenance - contact the Child Benefit Office to find out. Two people can’t get Child Benefit for the same child - if you want to make a claim, you must agree it with the person who’s currently claiming. HMRC will decide who receives the Child Benefit if you can’t agree. You may also be entitled to Guardian’s Allowance if you’re responsible for a child who has lost one or both of their parents. Living abroad You may be able to get Child Benefit if you go to live in certain countries or if you’re a Crown servant. If you’ve moved to the UK You may be able to get Child Benefit if your main home is in the UK and you have permission to live in the UK. If your child starts work or gets benefits in their own right You’ll stop receiving Child Benefit immediately if your child: starts paid work for 24 hours or more a week and is no longer in approved education or training starts an apprenticeship in England starts getting certain benefits in their own right, e.g. Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance or tax credits Child Benefit tax charge You’ll still be eligible for Child Benefit even if you choose to stop receiving it because you or your partner has an income over £50,000. Stopping your Child Benefit payments does not affect your entitlement - you can always change your mind and restart them. Questions about eligibility If you’re not sure about your eligibility, contact the Child Benefit Office. Child Benefit Helpline Contact Telephone: 08453 021 444 Text phone: 08453 021 474 https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/eligibility 1.8 Child Maintenance Service or Child Support Agency Contact details for the Child Support Agency (CSA), which provides advice and information on the statutory child maintenance schemes. The CSA ensures that parents who live apart meet their financial responsibilities to their children by calculating and collecting child maintenance payments. https://www2.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/contact/index.asp 1.9 Cold Weather Payments Eligibility You may be able to get Cold Weather Payments if you’re getting: Pension Credit Income Support income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Pension Credit If you’re getting Pension Credit, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments. Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance If you’re getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you also have any of following: a disability or pensioner premium a child who is disabled Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element a child under 5 living with you Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) If you’re getting income-related ESA, you’ll usually get Cold Weather Payments if you also have any of the following: the support or work-related component of ESA a severe or enhanced disability premium a pensioner premium a child who is disabled Child Tax Credit that includes a disability or severe disability element a child under 5 living with you https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility 1.10 Council Tax There are several ways in which families may be entitled to a reduction in the amount of council Tax paid by the household. They include:- Council Tax Discount – Council Tax bills assume there are two people living in a property and the full charge for services is made.