People on PIP, Adult Disability Payment or DLA to receive up to £8,983 tax-free during new financial year

We all try to keep as safe as we can when it comes to our finances, but the fact is that fraud can happen to any of us. And a new study has outlined the top five banks in the UK that customers are most at risk of it happening - with Santander at the top of the list.

Members of the SNP and Scottish Liberal Democrats have called on the UK Government to reintroduce the weekly uplift that was given to Universal Credit claimants during the coronavirus pandemic to help ease the financial pressure caused by lockdowns. They also called for it to be increased to £25 per week and extended to all claimants on legacy benefits.

More than 81,000 people currently claiming Carer’s Allowance received an extra payment for £245.70 in December 2022 as part of a unique benefit only available in Scotland. Carer’s Allowance Supplement is a devolved payment, only given to those living in Scotland, twice each year.

Millions of families across the country have cut household spending and reduced outgoings in an effort to offset the ongoing cost of living crisis which shows no sign of easing up despite extended financial support from the UK Government for 2023/24. The £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme is set to finish at the end of this month and the current £2,500 Energy Price Guarantee is due to rise to £3,000 from April 1, although a campaign led by Martin Lewis has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to implement the £500 increase.

A new online petition is calling for an increase to the Basic State Pension weekly payment rate so that it matches the New State Pension. The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there are now 12.6 million people across Great Britain receiving State Pension payments, including more than 992,000 living in Scotland.

A mum has begged people to stop sharing graphic footage of her teenage son being violently attacked in a Fife park.

The latest figures from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of February, 2022 there were 124,081 people living in Scotland receiving additional financial support through Attendance Allowance. Across Great Britain, there are now more than 1.5 million people over State Pension age getting either £61.85 or £92.40 each week through the benefit.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has condemned new regulations introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on February 27 which could affect more than 120,000 working people on Universal Credit. An increase to the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means that more Universal Credit claimants will be moved from the ‘Light Touch’ group to the ‘Intensive Work Search’ group.

While it's nothing new, and we're certainly not complaining, Harry Styles' name is inescapable right now.

A major rescue operation is expected to resume after a tugboat with two people on board capsized in the River Clyde off Greenock.

The latest figures from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of February, 2022 there were 124,081 people living in Scotland receiving additional financial support through Attendance Allowance. Across Great Britain, there are now more than 1.5 million people over State Pension age getting either £61.85 or £92.40 each week through the benefit.

The latest UK Government figures suggest that almost a third of Scottish households with a prepayment meter have not yet redeemed their energy rebate vouchers. More than 867,000 vouchers were issued in Scotland under the government’s £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) between October and December last year.

The Scottish Government is providing £8.6 million in direct support for people affected by the UK benefit cap as part of its work to tackle child poverty.

A consultation on whether to accelerate the demolition of Falkirk Town Hall has sent a message to the council that a replacement must be built soon.

The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that by the end of October, there were more than three million people across the UK claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including 329,334 living in Scotland. The figures also show that nearly half a million people of State Pension age are also in receipt of PIP.

The UK Government has confirmed that the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) is currently in its pilot phase and is accepting live applications in some pilot local authority areas ahead of a nationwide rollout next week. Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart MP said this is helping to “refine the end-to-end user journey before full scheme launch”.

An SNP councillor in Renfrewshire is being investigated by an ethics watchdog after accusing political rivals of “wanting to kill people” during a debate on independence. Will Mylet, who represents Paisley East and Central, made the comments at a full council meeting in June.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor J.K. Rowling, nearly two years after she ignited a firestorm over her comments widely perceived as denigrating transgender people, is speaking out about the controversy in a new podcast — and claims that fans have “profoundly” misunderstood her point of view. In the forthcoming podcast, “The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling,” Rowling says, “What has interested me in recent years, particularly on social media [is when fans say], ‘You’ve ruined your legacy. Oh, you could have been beloved forever, but you chose to say this.’ And I think: ‘You could not have misunderstood me more profoundly.’” Rowling, in the trailer for the podcast, says, “I never set out to upset anyone. However, I was not uncomfortable with getting off my pedestal.”

A new online petition is calling on the UK Government to “urgently work” with charities and the veterinary industry to introduce targeted animal welfare support across the country to prevent pets from being abandoned or euthanised as owners struggle to cope with the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The UK Government has shared new updates on how the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) will be administered and delivered, in response to written queries from several MPs. The application portal is expected to open on or before February 27, 2023.