PKC Welfare Rights Team

19/10/2026

Did you know that Child Benefit and Scottish Child Payment are 2 separate benefits?

Throughout the course of our work, we come across a variety of different beliefs/myths about benefits and it's no wonder given the complexity of the benefits system.

It's part of our job to ensure that our residents are as informed as they can be to ensure that fewer households miss out.

Last week, a particular theme came up and that was that Child Benefit and Scottish Child Payment are the same thing. They are in fact 2 very different benefits.

👉Child Benefit: Child Benefit is a benefit paid in respect of each child in a household with earnings below £80,000 per year and is administered by HMRC.

👉Scottish Child Payment: Scottish Child Payment is paid in respect of each child if the household is in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit and is administered by Social Security Scotland.

If you think you could be missing out on either of these benefits then please get in touch 👇

Most people claim benefits at some point in their lives depending on their circumstances. The welfare benefits system can be complicated and it is not always clear what benefits, if any, someone may be entitled to.

19/10/2026

Thank you, Perth and Kinross! 🥰

We have had an unprecedented response to the Welfare Trust Clothing Fund and as a result, the Clothing part of the Fund has now closed. We are working our way through the large volume of applications that we received and you should receive a decision within 3 weeks of the application being received.

The Alternative Fuel (oil, LPG, Calor Gas, coal and kindling) part of the Fund remains open and we'd ask that our followers share this information with any residents that rely on alternative fuel as their heat source.

Please share with rural community groups to spread the word about the Fund which targets low-income households.

For more information and a link to the application form 👇

Welfare Trust charitable payments are administered by the Welfare Rights Team.

09/10/2026

The Welfare Trust is now open for applications for winter clothes and alternative fuel (oil, solid fuel, LPG and Calor Gas).

This fund is open to all low-income households including those with no recourse to public funds.

Applications can be made at www.pkc.gov.uk/welfaretrust

Or if you are unable to apply online you can call 01738 476900 (option 1)

Welfare Trust charitable payments are administered by the Welfare Rights Team.

06/10/2026

We're attending the, Meet the Employer and Employment Services Event at Riverside Church, Perth, today from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

Why not pop along for some advice?!🥰

28/09/2026

Good morning Perth and Kinross 🥰

If you are a household with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) then please get in touch so that we can ensure you have the correct advice for your circumstances. We can:

👉 Connect you to an interpreter.
👉 Provide advice on your entitlements.
👉 Connect you to an agency that can provide immigration advice.
👉 Connect you to other services or agencies that are relevant to your circumstances.

For more information:
https://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/22028/Assistance-for-people-with-no-recourse-to-public-funds

23/09/2026

We will be attending the, Meet the Employer and Employment Services Event at Riverside Church, Perth, on 6 October, from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

Why not come along and find out what is on offer and find out if you're missing out on any entitlements?

We hope you can make it 🥰

21/08/2026

Good afternoon Perth and Kinross 🥰

Job Opportunities!!

We currently have 3 permanent Welfare Rights Officer positions available within our team. The positions are based in Pullar House and involve hybrid working, mobile working and lone working.

The role is demanding, working in a busy, fast-paced environment with vulnerable people and/or people in vulnerable circumstances.
If you have experience of the benefits system (doesn't have to be in a paid role) and you're passionate about helping people then why not apply👇

View details and apply for this general administration assistant role in with Perth and Kinross Council on myjobscotland

21/08/2026

Good morning Perth and Kinross🥰

We're continuing our theme of people/households subject to immigration control.

We know that many people who have no recourse to public funds and who are subject to immigration control in some way are often apprehensive about approaching authorities for advice because of fear that this may impact their immigration status.

This is a message of reassurance.

The Welfare Rights Team is accredited to the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers and as such we are not permitted to share any information that we hold about anyone without their consent.

We provide free, confidential and impartial advice, assistance and representation on all aspects of the benefits system and we can identify appropriate and relevant seamless referrals to other agencies for additional advice and support.

If you or someone you know would benefit from our service then please do not hesitate to contact us on 01738 476900 (option 1).

We have access to interpreters and translation services which reduces/removes any communication barriers that you may feel will prevent access to our service.

In the past year we've helped around 80 households that are subject to immigration control for a number of reasons including:

👉EEA Nationals with no pre or settled status,
👉People seeking asylum,
👉Lapsed visas,
👉Relationship breakdowns,
👉Fleeing domestic violence.

For more information on the advice and support that may be available to you in your situation 👉
https://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/22028/Assistance-for-people-with-no-recourse-to-public-funds?fbclid=IwY2xjawTz0UdwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXlubEtHRjczZlBqMG9RODRzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeFkS9UvPAH1gmRYewMemktohTDrlvhIsuxUJpCNNS4WsDrGiHDBqOUH9lqdY_aem_oEj3QgYefUQtfRpkC0H8lg

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20/08/2026

PLEASE SHARE WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS🥰

We've had feedback from colleagues within the Council, following lived experience work with minority ethnic community members, that we need to do more to ensure that people subject to immigration restrictions know what services they can access for advice and assistance.

We've also been made aware that frontline workers are not clear about where people can be referred to for advice and assistance.

A couple of things:
1. We are an inclusive Council and an inclusive team and as such our Council provides us with funding to deliver a local scheme which mirrors Crisis Grants. This means that anyone living within the Perth and Kinross area whether or not they have no recourse to public funds can apply for cash to tide them over a period of crisis.

Households with no recourse to public funds (who are not entitled to benefits due to their immigration status) can apply to the Council's Financial Insecurity Fund: https://www.pkc.gov.uk/financialinsecurityfund

2. Any frontline service/team/workers across the Perth and Kinross area that want to know more about the work that we do with minority ethnic communities and their entitlements should email us at [email protected] and we will arrange training relevant to your needs so that you can best serve the people you are working with.

Thank you to our partners Perth & Kinross Foodbank, Perth Minorities Association, Perthshire Welfare Society, Broke Not Broken, Aberlour Children's Charity FACCS and the Council's Social Work and Housing and Homeless Services for continuing to regularly refer minority ethnic households to us for advice and assistance, without you we would not have the reach that we do.

We'd also like to give thanks to SM Legal and the Ethnic Minority Law Centre in Dundee for continuing to provide immigration advice and assistance to the households we regularly refer to them.

For more information on entitlements for those with No Recourse to Public Funds: https://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/22028/Assistance-for-people-with-no-recourse-to-public-funds

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31/07/2026

WE NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE SHARE🤩

Good morning Perth and Kinross,

BENEFIT CAP & DHP

We need to find households that are affected by the Benefit Cap. Some households will be affected directly due to the UC 2Child Limit being lifted - their UC amount goes up and, for some, the cap is imposed.

Households affected will be in receipt of Universal Credit and have their income capped.

This will likely reduce the amount that UC pays towards their rent.

This is most likely to affect households in private tenancies with 2 or more children (but not exclusively).

We have funding available within our Discretionary Housing Payment budget to assist eligible households.

There are a couple of things we can do to help these households:

1. We can pay DHP when households qualify: you can apply for DHP @ www.pkc.gov.uk/dhp and/or,
2. We can undertake a comprehensive benefit check to ensure households aren't missing out on their entitlements (payment of some benefits remove the cap completely e.g. disability benefits and this means that households get their full UC entitlement without the cap/limit). You can request a benefit check @ www.pkc.gov.uk/wrt

We really need your help to reach these households.

Please share with community groups, parent councils, any groups you think may help us find those affected...

We appreciate every share we get...let's go viral 💥

Most people claim benefits at some point in their lives depending on their circumstances. The welfare benefits system can be complicated and it is not always clear what benefits, if any, someone may be entitled to.