Supporting people who care for family and friends
The following article provides an overview of Winter Heating Benefits from Social Security Scotland. Child Winter Heating Payment Child Winter Heating Payment is a payment to help disabled children and young people and their families with increased heating costs over winter. The payment for winter 2026/27 is £265.50. Children and young people in Scotland can … Read more
Earlier this year, we asked carers supporting someone with mental health issues to share their thoughts on what would benefit them when attending carer support groups. We received lots of helpful feedback about the benefits of peer support, session formats, and the topics carers would like us to focus on. A huge thank you to … Read more
Have you heard about Venturing Out’s Carers Adventure Wellbeing Group? This group is about adventurous activities, offering a break from the caring routine and a setting for social connection. Activities have included cooking in the woods, climbing rock faces, paddleboarding & kayaking in Musselburgh Lagoons and exploring East Lothian on foot and bike with coastal … Read more
As we develop our next five year strategy, it is really important that we hear directly from carers about how we can provide the best possible support. We have already held a some sessions where we have heard from carers and would like to invite more carers to share their views. Please see below for … Read more
This week (8th – 14th June) is Carers Week 2026. Carers Week is a national campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face, and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities. At Carers of East Lothian, we are proud to be supporting this year’s campaign, which focuses on the … Read more
11th – 17th May is Mental Health Awareness Week. The Mental Health Foundation have chosen Action as this year’s theme because, while awareness is vital, real change comes when we take action too. They are asking people to join them in taking action to support good mental health. Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and … Read more
Carers Week is running from 8th – 14th June. The theme of the national campaign in 2026 is Building Carer Friendly Communities, highlighting the impact carer friendly communities can have in making a real and lasting difference to the lives of carers everywhere. Carers of East Lothian will be running a range of events throughout … Read more
Please find a list of resources and factsheets about different benefits in Scotland. Easy read factsheet about Carer Support Payment Scotland: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/2025/04/carer-support-payment-factsheet-easy-read Easy read factsheets about different benefits from Social Security Scotland: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications?cat=filter&assist=easyread&page=1&sort=date Easy read factsheets from DWP about Universal Credit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/easy-read-universal-credit Social Security Scotland benefit factsheets that are available in alternative languages: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/translated-resources Social … Read more
We are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year at Carers of East Lothian. You might have heard us mentioning pearls in relation to our 30th anniversary celebrations. This is because pearls are traditionally associated with 30 – year anniversaries. And like pearls, unpaid carers are valuable and often hidden from view. Using pearls as part … Read more
During February and March 2026, the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) consulted the public on their draft Local Carers Strategy 2026–2030, which is East Lothian’s third local carers strategy. The strategy is described as setting out a shared vision, aspirations, and ambitions for unpaid carers in East Lothian. It also outlines the … Read more