Home Energy Advice Financial Support Benefit Help

Benefit Help

A man wears a headset to talk to someone on the phone.

If you’re struggling to pay your energy costs, it’s important to get as much help with energy bills as you can.

Benefits and tax credits are there to support you financially. There are lots of different ways to qualify, so make sure you’re not missing out.

What are benefits?

Benefits are payments from the government. You usually get them if you’re on a low income, or if your situation means you need extra help. For example, you might need extra financial help if:

You are elderly
You are out of work
Your partner has died
You are sick or disabled
You have caring responsibilities
You are pregnant or have children

Means-tested versus non-means-tested benefits

Benefits are either means-tested or non-means-tested.

If a benefit is means-tested, how much you get depends on your income and savings. The lower your income and savings, the higher the payment.

Housing benefit is an example of a means-tested benefit. With Housing benefit, you get money to help pay your rent. How much help you get is affected by how much you have in savings.

If a benefit is non-means-tested, your income or savings don’t usually affect the payment you get. The amount you get depends on other things.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is an example of a non-means-tested benefit. With DLA, you get money to help with mobility and care if you have a disability. Your income and savings don’t affect how much you get. The amount you get will depend on how much support you need.

What benefits can I get?

To find out what benefits you can get, it’s best to use a free online Benefit Checker. We’d recommend this one from entitledto. Unlike some other benefit checkers, entitledto’s tool includes the benefits you can get through Social Security Scotland.

If you don’t want to use an online benefit checker, you could call Citizens Advice Scotland on 0800 028 1456.

What you’ll need for a benefits check

What benefits you can get depend on your situation. For any benefits check, you’ll be asked about your circumstances. Getting information ready beforehand will help you answer the questions.

Most benefit checks will ask about:

Your income. This includes your earnings, plus any benefits you already get.

Your household income. This includes the earnings and benefits of a partner or any grown-up children who live with you.
Your savings, investments, and any other capital you have.
How much you pay in council tax.
How much you pay in rent, mortgage, or service charges.

Sign up to hear more from Changeworks

Sign up as an individual to receive monthly tips and tricks straight to your inbox on how to save energy in the home and reduce your bills. Sign up as an organisation for the latest updates from Changeworks and how we’re helping households across Scotland to lower their carbon emissions.

Useful pages

Saving Energy In The Home

Saving energy in the home is good for our pocket and the planet. There are lots of little changes we can make – many costing us nothing at all – that can add up to big savings.

Energy Bills and Your Supplier

From getting to know all the charges that appear on your energy bill to the best ways to find out about your rights, our advice and support can help you take control.

Financial Support

Worried about your energy bills? You don’t have to feel alone. There are a range of support schemes and discounts out there.

Managing Your Heating

The more familiar you are with your heating systems, the better. Use our guides to take control of the heat in your home and use it more efficiently.

Heat Your Home Efficiently

If you’re making decisions about the future of heating your home, we can help. Discover advice on renewable options and available funding.

Grant funding for energy efficiency measures

You may be eligible to receive grant funding from the Scottish Government to install energy efficient measures at your home. Eligibility criteria apply.