Your financial wellbeing

The council is committed to looking after our most vulnerable citizens, to help create a fair city where our communities are at the heart of our decisions - so that services are directly targeted to help them thrive.

Within the council's Strategic Plan, one of our four grand challenges is focused on how we can reduce poverty and inequalities across the city, for example, in response to the current cost-of-living crisis. 

Poverty affects us all - directly or indirectly. It is a real issue that affects individuals, families and our communities and together we can all play a role to help care and support those who are less fortunate. 

Supporting our staff - your dedicated financial wellbeing factsheet and travel discounts

If you need to chat to someone because you are worrying about your financial wellbeing we have several support routes available to you. All are recommended Government approved pathways that are available to you -  for free, impartial and confidential money advice and support. You can see the comprehensive list below and also download and print our dedicated staff factsheet.

The factsheet also includes key discounts/offers available to you on local public transport as shown on our Staff Travel Resources and Discount Page

• Information on local support services for Glasgow City and other Scottish Local Authority areas can be found here: https://www.foodaidnetwork.org.uk/cash-first-leaflets

• Print   our staff financial wellbeing factsheet (PDF) [154KB] - which provides a comprehensive list of free, impartial and confidential money advice and support available to you.  Full details can be seen below.

Our factsheet is divided into key sections to help you find what you need easily:

Benefits

1. Citizens Advice Scotland -Freephone:0800 028 1456 (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm) for help with housing, benefits, debt, and consumer issues such as energy bills. Visit: https://www.cas.org.uk/ for online information, advice, and guidance or find your local bureau.
2. Social Security Scotland-Freephone: 0800 182 222(Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm) to find out about benefits and grants, need support paying for a funeral, disabled people, carers, young people entering the workplace. Visit www.mygov.scot/benefits for more information.
3. If you're disabled, you can get free support from an independent advocate to help you to apply for Social Security benefits. Freephone: 0300 303 1660, email: helpline@voiceability.org or visit: www.voiceability.org to find out more.
4. Scottish Welfare Fund-you may be able to get a grant if you need help you pay for essentials, such as food, gas, electricity, or household goods. Visit: https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-welfare-fund/how-to-apply
5. Department for Work and Pensions - for information on welfare, pensions and working age, disability, and ill health benefits visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions
6. Macmillan Long Term Conditions & Improving the Cancer Journey- Phone: 0141 287 7077(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) for free, confidential advice and support including income maximisation for anyone diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, chronic liver disease, heart failure, or stroke. In addition bespoke person-centred support for anyone affected by Cancer, including financial, emotional, physical, and practical including Housing advice.

Cost of Living

1. Scottish Government- aimed at helping people through the current cost of living crisis, this website is a one stop shop providing information on support, grants, benefits and advice.  Visit https://costofliving.campaign.gov.scot/
2. Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) resources to help support your mental health together with links to further sources of support to help you through the cost-of-living crisis.

Debt advice

1. National Debtline- Freephone: 0808 808 4000(Mon-Fri 9am-8pm,Sat 9.30am-1pm) for free advice and resources to help you with your debts.Visit: https://www.nationaldebtline.org/
2. Step Change -Freephone 0800 138 111 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-4pm) for free advice, guidance and tools to helpwith debt problems. Visit: https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/debt-advice-scotland.aspx

Community lenders

1. Glasgow Credit Union (GCU)- Phone 0141 274 9933. Financial Benefits are available to council staff including low-cost loans, member discounts and competitive deals on mortgages and insurance. Visit: https://www.glasgowcu.com/gcc-join-today/ or their Financial Wellbeing Hub.
2. Find Your Credit Union (FYCU) - Search the online directory of Credit Unions https://www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk/credit-unions/glasgow-credit-union/

Discounts Schemes

1. Blue Light Card Schemeprovides those in the NHS, emergency services, social care sector and armed forces with discounts online and in-store, just £4.99 for 2 years https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk/
2. Young Scot National Entitlement Cardfree for 11 to 25 year olds, provides access to discounts and exclusive rewards-https://young.scot/the-young-scot-card

Household

1. Home Energy Scotland- Freephone:0808 808 2282 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm) for advice and help to keep your home warm, cut your energy costs, and reduce your bills.Visit: https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/ for more information.
2. Energy Savings Trust Scotland, help to make homes more energy efficient, reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills. https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy-at-home/
3. Love Food Hate Waste, helpful hints, tips and guidance to get the greatest value from food. https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/love-food-hate-waste-scotland
4. Eat well - Wheatley Group supports tenants who are having unexpected financial issues by offering a supermarket voucher to help put food on the table. https://www.wheatleyhomes-glasgow.com/my-home/my-rent/eatwell

Period Dignity

1. PickupMyPeriod app, allows users to identify locations across Scotland, where free period products are available - including council buildings and sites across the city.

Download the app at:

• Apple Store:        https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/pickupmyperiod/id1500403938
• Google Store:      https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myperiodapp

Leisure

1. Glasgow Life, find out what's on at our museums  https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums
2. Visit Glasgow, look for free events in the Glasgow area  https://peoplemakeglasgow.com/see-do/outdoor-activities/top-5-winter-walks-in-glasgow

Travel - discounts

1. SPT website for more information on concessionary travel (children up to 21 & adults over 60) https://www.spt.co.uk/tickets/concessions/
2. ScotRail, Flexi Pass - Save 15% on 10 single journeys or 5 return journeys on the same route within 60 days https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/flexipass
3. First Bus Glasgow, Commuter Travel Club - 20% discount on monthly tickets (paid via Direct Debit). Click on Commuter Travel Club | First Bus , go to the bottom of the page, register with your name and set up your personal password. Select Glasgow City Council from the dropdown menu and login using Password: GCC-FIRSTBUS-CTC

4. Glasgow Tripper Ticket - travel in around Glasgow for less than £3 per day with a multi bus operator ticket. Day, weekly and four-week tickets are available, as well as flexi day bundles - no need to buy multiple tickets for different buses anymore!  More information at Glasgow Tripper - Unlimited Bus Travel Across Glasgow on how to buy tickets via the app or how to sign up for your Glasgow Tripper Smart Card.

Avoiding Scams

1. Trading Standards Scotland - keep up to date with the latest phone, email, doorstep and online scams https://www.tsscot.co.uk/news/scam-share/

More information and support

1. PAM Assist-our Employee Assistance Provider is available 24/7 for free, confidential, and independent advice and support that matters to you and your family.  Freephone: 0800 247 1100 
2. Glasgow Helps - Phone 0141 276 1185(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) for free confidential information and advice on issues such as food, utilities, income maximisation, housing, homelessness and much more to help you access the right support at the right time and in the right place. Visit: Glasgow Helps
3. Breathing Space -Freephone: 0800 83 85 87 (Mon-Fri 6pm-2am, 24 hours at weekend) if you are feeling low, anxious, or depressed.
4. Samaritans- Freephone: 116 123 (24/7) or find out other ways of getting in touch.

Glasgow Helps - access to the right support at the right time for all staff

Glasgow Helps - for free confidential information and advice on issues such as food, utilities, income maximisation, housing, homelessness and much more to help you access the right support at the right time and in the right place. Phone 0141 276 1185 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).

Council staff living outside of Glasgow

All staff working for the council family are able to access Glasgow Helps support - even if they live outside the council boundary and within another local authority area.

However, please note that the support offered will only be for yourself, and not for any members of your family that live with you - and that some solutions may not be available as they are localised to the Glasgow area. If you have any friends and family who live within the Glasgow area they will be able to access Glasgow Helps support as normal.

Watch the Glasgow Helps video to learn more about the support they can provide you. 

Link https://youtu.be/_Lc4vEmLGOs

Reminder - Tax Credits are ending: need to apply for Universal Credit

Tax credits are ending, and most people in receipt of these credits will need to apply for Universal Credit (UC) instead.

If you are in receipt of tax credits, look out for a letter called a Universal Credit Migration Notice from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) explaining what you will need to do, and by when.  

There are plenty of things you can do to prepare for this change, find out more about the support available to help you switchover.

If you are unsure about when to make your claim to UC, or you have received notification from HMRC or DWP and need assistance to understand what this means for you, you can phone Help to Claim on 0800 023 2581.

This service is delivered by the Citizens Advice Bureau and are independent of the council.

Challenge Poverty Week - opportunity to raise our voices against poverty

Challenge Poverty Week is an annual event each October that aims to raise awareness about poverty and its impact on individuals and our communities.  The week, led by the Poverty Alliance, is an opportunity for us all to raise our voices against poverty and help to break down the stigma associated with it.

As John Sherry, Head of Financial Services and Transformation in Chief Executive's Department explains: "During the week we want to put a spotlight on challenging the perceptions of poverty and help to make people more aware that poverty is not a choice. A change in circumstances can happen to anyone and there are many people trapped in the grip of poverty - especially across our city.

"We all have a role to play and can benefit from a little more knowledge and understanding around this topic to help reduce the negative attitudes people have around those that are in receipt of benefits or living in poverty.  By supporting one another and knowing where to go for help - together we can help to create a compassionate society."

Across our city

Many of us will know a family that already has little or no disposable income and as we head closer to winter the cost-of-living crisis is only going to get worse and many families will struggle to make ends meet. The simple fact is that our city has more households that are deeply vulnerable to this sort of crisis

Almost half (44%) of our citizens live in the 20% most deprived communities in Scotland. We know that unfortunately just under a quarter of our children (24%) are growing up in families that are, on average, living on £115 a week below the poverty line.

John continues: "This week serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by many in our community, challenges that are not theirs alone but are shared by us as members of the community and the city. Poverty can be a real health and wellbeing threat to our communities and the people we serve, so it is important for us to come together as a city to make a difference in the lives of those most affected by poverty.

"During the week we will be out and about in our communities with our third-party providers to raise awareness of the support routes directly available to them. For our staff, we have a video to challenge your perceptions of poverty, a financial wellbeing support sheet with key information if anyone is concerned about money issues and we are also rolling out dedicated training and support for our managers.

"During Challenge Poverty Week we encourage each one of us to watch the video and reflect on the impact our work makes to the city. Every task, every project, every interaction, no matter how small contributes to the larger goal in creating a fairer, more inclusive city that understand and responds to support our staff and our citizens."

Watch the video - challenge your own perceptions of poverty

Link: https://youtu.be/Mor7qLduJNM?si=FtehGXK5TS3lBXJG

Child Poverty in Glasgow  - report 2023

Child Poverty in Glasgow Report 2023 (PDF) [8MB]