Help with household costs
Find out about help with household costs
Council Tax
It's important that you pay your Council Tax to prevent arrears.
Paying Council Tax helps us to pay for essential services such as schools, roads and social care.
If you are behind in your payments or are struggling to manage your bills, get in touch with our team straight away. Please do not delay.
We can check that you are receiving any Council Tax exemptions or discounts that you may be entitled to, or discuss a repayment arrangement with you to spread out your payments over a longer period of time.
If you have Council Tax arrears, along with other debts, we can help provide information about the Scottish Government's Debt Arrangement Scheme. The scheme can help some people who are in debt with much-needed breathing space and allow you to repay your debts in full through the debt payment programme.
Don't ignore the problem. Please get in touch as soon as possible and we'll do what we can to help.
Call us on 01506 280000.
Council Tax Reduction Scheme
Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) helps people on a low income pay all or part of their Council Tax. You can apply if you own your own home or rent. The amount you receive will vary based on your circumstances. CTR is not automatically awarded even if you are claiming Universal Credit so you need to apply separately for this.
Rent and mortgage
We understand that affordable and sustainable housing is not always easy to find. Our advisors are available to assist with any housing issue regardless of tenure. We also have a specialised court advice project for anyone facing court proceedings as a result of rent and mortgage arrears.
It's important that you pay your rent to prevent arrears accruing. If you have rent arrears, or are worried about paying, we would urge you to contact your landlord immediately to discuss your situation. If you're a council tenant, our dedicated team will deal with any concerns you have, confidentially and sensitively.
Our team will discuss your options.
The most important point is not to delay, please contact us today.
Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit helps you pay your rent if you are on a low income and do not already receive Housing Costs as part of a claim for Universal Credit. You must meet certain criteria before you can make a new claim for Housing Benefit.
Older People, Dementia and Other Long Term Conditions
The Advice Shop offer a targeted service for anyone living in West Lothian who is older (60+), has dementia or has another terminal long term condition as well as people reaching State Pension Age. This can help these groups maximise their benefit entitlement.
Money & Debt Advice
We have specialist money advisors available if you are struggling to keep on top of debt and need advice on budgeting or debt solutions for your circumstances. We have a debt toolkit available online which can help identify the services available to you.
Financial Wellbeing
If you have money worries it can affect your standard of living, relationships and even your health. We have a self-help guide available online which is full of practical information, top tips and all of the resources you need to get back in control of your finances.
Benefit check
If you are on a low income we can carry out a benefit check to identify any entitlements and provide advice on applying. We also have free online tool which can help to calculate your entitlement available.
