Challenge Poverty Week 2021

Work EastRen help people aged 16+ in East Renfrewshire to get ready for, find and keep work. The team aim to help local residents find the education, training or employment they are most suited to. Work EastRen also supports employers with recruitment, work placements and experience, and accessing funding and support.

To find out more, visit the Work EastRen website (opens new window).

Our Adult Learning team offer a range of learning opportunities for adults in East Renfrewshire. Courses can help you gain new skills or qualifications, get a new job, go to college or just build confidence with existing skills you already have.

To find out more, visit our adult learning webpage.

Clothing grants, free school meals and Education Maintenance are available in all our schools for eligible families. 

• Primary school benefits (PDF) [218KB] (opens new window)
• Secondary school benefits (PDF) [112KB] (opens new window)

Back to School Bank East Renfrewshire provides brand new school uniforms to families affected by financial hardship. To find out more, visit the Back to school bank Facebook page.

Our Housing team aims to offer effective and relevant housing advice and to help residents make informed choices about which option is best for their budget and circumstances.

To find out more, visit our Housing Options webpage.

Home Energy Scotland can offer free, impartial advice on energy saving, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, greener travel, cutting water waste and more.

To find out more, visit the Home Energy Scotland website (opens new window).

Up to 25% of women have had difficulties accessing sanitary products at some point due to financial constraints. To challenge this we've made a variety of sanitary products available in buildings including schools and health centres, Citizens Advice Bureau, Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire and housing associations. These products are available to everyone, regardless of their financial position. 

Our Prevention team aims to protect people from personal and financial harm through doorstep crime, nuisance calls and online fraud.

To find out more and use our guide to avoiding scams, visit our scam prevention webpage.

The Community Hub is for anyone who wants to help out in their community or those who don't have friends, family or neighbours to help them with essentials.

The Community Hub is connected in to neighbourhood groups and other voluntary organisations carrying out valuable work to support people throughout the pandemic. It's a 'one stop shop' for anyone looking to give or receive a little help.

The Community Hub can also offer a variety of support groups, to help with mental health and social isolation.

Contact the Community Hub Monday to Friday 10am-3pm on 0141 876 9555 or by emailing hello@va-er.org.uk

For more information, visit the Community Hub website (opens new window).

Citizen's Advice Bureau can help with debt and money advice, completion of benefit application and appeal forms, benefit appeal representation. They also run the Patient Advice Service, Armed Services Advice Project, Helping East Renfrewshire Online (HERO) service, employment advice and assistance with homelessness/evictions.

The team is working from home with advice available over the phone. You can phone them on 0141 881 2032 or visit their website (opens new window) where you will find direct mobile numbers for specialist advisers.

Skills Development Scotland is the national skills body. They offer careers advice and guidance. Whether it's for someone looking for their first job, a new career, or even if they don't know what they want, the team's career coaching is entirely free. SDS also offer and skills-related support for employers.

For more information, visit the Skills Development Scotland website (opens new window).

The Fair Start team can provide tailor-made support for 12-18 months to anyone living in East Renfrewshire who is not working or in education. Despite pausing face-to-face to contact, Fair Start is available over the phone, on email and through text messages.

Fair Start can also support employers with recruitment needs. Get in touch with Fair Start by phoning 0300 303 3381 or visiting their website (opens new window).

Throughout the pandemic we've seen a wave of community-led food projects start up to ensure nobody in our communities goes without. If you'd like to find out more about the nearest food projects to you such as shopping services and food larders, contact the Community Hub Monday to Friday 10am-3pm on 0141 876 9555 or by emailing hello@va-er.org.uk.

The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of foodbanks and together provide emergency food and support for people in crisis. There are two foodbank centres in East Renfrewshire:

The East Renfrewshire Foodbank is based at 14 Lowndes Street, Barrhead. It is open on Tuesdays at 12pm-2pm and Fridays at 2pm-4pm.

The Thornliebank Resource Centre is based at Robslee Drive, Giffnock. It is open on Thursdays at 12.30pm-2.30pm.

For more information, visit the Trussell Trust website (opens new window).

Jobcentre Plus is an employment agency and social security office. Here you can claim Jobseeker's Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support. Barrhead and Newlands Job Centres can be used by East Renfrewshire residents.

For more information, visit the Jobcentre Plus website (opens new window).

Some benefits are provided by an organisation called Social Security Scotland. There are currently eight with more being added to the list in future. Click the links to find out more and how you can apply for them.

• Carer's Allowance Supplement (opens new window)
• Best Start Grant - Pregnancy and Baby Payment (opens new window)
• Best Start Grant - Early Learning Payment (opens new window)
• Best Start Grant - School Age Payment (opens new window)
• Best Start Foods (opens new window)  
• Funeral Support Payment (opens new window)
• Young Carer Grant (opens new window)
• Job Start Payment (opens new window)

If you're unsure about what you are entitled to, you can contact our Money Advice and Rights Team. They can help with anything you need to know about benefits and grant eligibility, health-related issues, redundancy, retirement and pensions, death and bereavement, housing, children, cold weather and winter fuel payments.

Call 0141 577 8420 or email mart@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk

The Scottish Government's website provides information on other benefits and grants not listed above. To find out more, visit their website (opens new window).