Money help
When money runs short, there is often help nobody has mentioned. This section covers emergency grants, money off your bills, looking after yourself, and checking who to trust.
Money help is about the support that sits around debt: emergency grants, money off your bills, looking after your health, dealing with a death in the family, and knowing who to trust. In Scotland, much of this comes from your local council and Social Security Scotland, and none of it means signing up to a debt solution.
No money for food or heating today? Contact your local council and ask about a Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grant. Most councils decide within 2 working days, and you do not pay the grant back. If you feel unable to cope, Samaritans is free on 116 123, day or night.
Is there emergency help if I have run out of money?
Every council in Scotland runs the Scottish Welfare Fund. A Crisis Grant helps with an emergency or disaster, usually covering food, gas or electricity. A Community Care Grant helps you set up or keep a home, usually with essentials such as a bed or cooker. You need to be 16 or over and on a low income, but not necessarily on benefits. Read how Scottish Welfare Fund crisis grants work.
The fund cannot pay off debts. If money keeps running out because of what you owe, free debt advice is the place to start.
Which Scottish benefits and reductions do people miss?
Some of the most useful help is easy to overlook:
- Council Tax Reduction is means-tested and can cut your bill by up to 100%. You apply to your council, and you do not need to be on benefits. See Council Tax Reduction in Scotland.
- Council tax discounts do not depend on your income. If you are the only adult counted as living in your home, you can get 25% off.
- Scottish Child Payment is paid by Social Security Scotland to the main carer of a child under 16, if you or your partner get a benefit such as Universal Credit.
- Benefit calculators, listed on mygov.scot, can show what else you might be able to claim.
How can I look after myself while dealing with debt?
Money worries and mental health often affect each other. You can tell creditors about your health, ask for time while you get advice, and use a 6-month moratorium to stop most enforcement. Debt and your mental health covers the practical steps, and if you are struggling lists helplines you can call today.
What happens to debts when someone dies?
Debts are paid from the estate, meaning the money, property and belongings the person leaves. Relatives do not usually have to pay from their own money, unless a debt was in their name too or they signed as a guarantor. See does debt die with you in Scotland?
How do I know who to trust?
Firms that give debt advice must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and you can check any firm on the FCA’s Financial Services Register. Be wary of anyone who pushes one solution quickly or will not tell you how they are paid. Read how to check a debt company is legitimate.
We are not a charity and we do not give debt advice. How our service works explains what we do, who we pass details to and how we are paid.
Guides in Money help
- Scottish Welfare Fund crisis grants Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants: who can apply, what they cover and how to challenge a decision.
- Council Tax Reduction in Scotland Who can get Council Tax Reduction, how to apply, backdating, discounts and what it means for arrears.
- Debt and your mental health Telling creditors, the Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form, getting breathing room, and support.
- Does debt die with you in Scotland? Who pays debts after a death in Scotland: the estate, executors, confirmation, joint debts and guarantors.
- How to check a debt company is legitimate Check the FCA Register and insolvency practitioner licences, spot warning signs and report a firm.
Common questions
Is there emergency money I do not have to pay back in Scotland?
Yes. The Scottish Welfare Fund, run by every council in Scotland, gives Crisis Grants for emergencies such as having no money for food or heating, and Community Care Grants to help you set up or keep a settled home. They are grants, not loans. You need to be 16 or over and on a low income, and you apply to your local council.
Do I have to be on benefits to get help with council tax?
No. Council Tax Reduction is open to people on certain benefits and to people on a low income with savings under £16,000, whether or not they work. Some discounts have nothing to do with income at all, such as the 25% single person discount if you are the only adult counted as living in your home.
Does this website give debt advice?
No. We publish information, and we are not a charity or a free advice service. If you ask us to, we pass your details to a licensed insolvency practitioner firm, and we may be paid a fee. Free, impartial debt advice is available from services such as Citizens Advice Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland and MoneyHelper.