Thousands of teenagers in Scotland are set to benefit for the first time from money in Child Trust Funds (CTFs) that has been waiting for them since they were young children. Since 2002, around 6.3 million CTF accounts have been set up across the UK, roughly 4.5 million by parents or guardians and a further 1.8 million set up by HMRC where parents or guardians did not open an account.
Young people are expected to face some of the greatest challenges with employment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. As such, Social Security Scotland would like to make as many businesses and individuals as possible aware of the Job Start Payment so that it can reach those who could benefit from it.
A Hi-Scot credit union loan is now easier than ever to arrange for members. Cars are a popular reason to borrow but loans can be arranged for a wide range of things.
Over a million Child Trust Funds lie forgotten, some with balances of over £2,000. With the first accounts due to mature on Saturday, here's how you can check if your child is due a four-figure windfall.
Which the consumer group are running a campaign to save cash. Coronavirus has accelerated the shift away from cash, putting greater strain on the already fragile cash system and making it even harder to access and pay with cash.
High Life Highland have expressed delight at today's announcement from the First Minister that gyms and swimming pools can reopen from Monday 31st August 2020. Steve Walsh Chief Executive of High life Highland said, "I am absolutely delighted with the news that we are able to welcome our customers back earlier than we had first thought.
Gender differences in the amount of paid and unpaid work people do have shrunk over the past four decades, while the gap between low- and high-income households has grown to create a new ‘working time inequality', according to a major new report published today (Tuesday 28 July 2020) by the Resolution Foundation. The time of our lives, supported by Trust for London, explores changes in people's time use over the past four decades, how these shifts differ by gender, geography and household income level, and where these trends may head in post-covid Britain.
Policy response has massively boosted poorest households' incomes, but further shocks lie ahead. The covid-induced crisis has caused typical working-age household incomes to fall 4.5 per cent between the pre-crisis period and May this year, despite the critical policy support that has cushioned the shock for millions of households, according to the Resolution Foundation's Living Standards Audit published on Tuesday 21st July 2020.
Mike Brewer, Laura Gardiner and Karl Handscomb wrting for the Resolution Foundation. Labour market statistics matter.
Scotland's public finances have been boosted after a data-sharing exercise identified over £15 million of potential fraud and errors across the public sector. But auditors have warned that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought additional fraud risks.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges across the Scottish public sector as bodies seek to deliver services for individuals, communities and businesses in an extremely difficult time. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges across the Scottish public sector.
Parents in Scotland are being urged to claim Child Benefit, even if they have not yet been able to register the birth of their new-borns, to ensure they don't miss out. Between April and July 2019, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) received 49,637 more new Child Benefit claims compared to the same period in 2020.
Four-legged friends can now travel with their owners between the Scottish mainland and Orkney and Shetland - thanks to new pet-friendly cabins on NorthLink Ferries passenger vessels MV Hamnavoe, MV Hjaltland and MV Hrossey. Each ship has two pet-friendly cabins available which have en-suite facilities, side-by-side lower twin bunks and tea and coffee making facilities.
Over the past three months, independent charity Crimestoppers has received a record number of reports from the public across Scotland on domestic abuse, drug dealing and child harm and neglect. In response to lockdown across Scotland, the charity ran a series of public awareness campaigns to highlight the increased risk of harm and abuse some people would experience.
Ness-side councillor Ron MacWilliam has called for tough new local byelaws to deal with the recent surge in excessive littering, outdoor toileting and motorhome chemical waste tipping. Reports of inconsiderate waste disposal have flooded in from every corner of the Highlands in recent days and in Inverness locations such as the Merkinch Nature Reserve have also been plagued by the problem.
Small businesses experience a significant boost to confidence across the UK, but overall levels of confidence in Scotland are still below the UK average. The FSB Scottish Small Business Index (SBI) increased 144.7 points to reach -10.1 in the second quarter of 2020.
A funding package of £10 million has been established to help the events sector recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Funding streams will be set up to provide direct support to organisers of cultural, community, and sporting events, as well as to supply chain firms facing hardship, to help keep them in business while restrictions on events are still in place.
GMB Scotland has today (Monday 27 July) warned the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that Donald Trump's tariff war on whisky will be a "jobs killer" on both sides of the Atlantic and urged the UK Government to "get in the game" and defend the industry. Responding to the USTR's consultation, Concerning the Enforcement of US WTO Rights in Large Civil Aircraft Dispute, the union for Scotland's whisky and spirits workers said: "On both sides of the Atlantic this tariff war will strangle hopes for economic recovery.
Notice issued on 25 July 2020. If you arrive in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland from Spain on or after 26 July 2020 you will need to self-isolate.
Lockdown has led to Scotland becoming a nation of online shoppers - with millions in Scotland and across the UK planning to continue their digital spending spree despite restrictions being lifted. In fact, 87% of Scots - nearly 9 in 10 - are planning to shop online at the same level, if not more, as restrictions ease, suggesting that Scots are committed to online shopping for the long haul.
