Help with the cost of living

Advice and support with the cost of living including paying your bills, mortgage or rent, benefits you could claim, council tax reductions, help with food, school meals, energy bills or paying for a funeral.

We understand that the cost of living is increasing the financial hardship faced by many, and people may be concerned about their ability to cover costs, make payments and pay bills, including Council Tax or rent payments.

On this page:

Help with paying your bills or mortgage

It's important to get the right advice as soon as you know you will struggle to pay your bills or your mortgage.

You should speak to your bank, energy supplier, our Council Tax team and any other organisation you are due to pay. Most organisations have ways to support you to change how you pay your bills or mortgage right now.

You can call our Advice Works team on 0300 300 1238 or email adviceworks@renfrewshire.gov.uk for free, impartial and confidential advice about money and debt.

The Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a local, independent charity that provides free, impartial and confidential advice and information that will give you the tools you need to sort out any issues or problems. You can call them on 0141 889 2121.

Help with paying your rent

What to do if you're a council tenant and you have problems paying your rent, other help available, claiming benefits or accessing crisis grants.

If you rent from a private landlord and you can't pay your rent, there are temporary temporary emergency measures from the Scottish Government to support you.

You can also find out about your housing rights in the cost of living crisis, including the rent freeze, eviction ban and housing costs, on the Shelter Scotland website.

Benefits you could claim

If you are no longer being paid by your employer, you have lost your job and you don't qualify for any self-employed support, you should apply for all the benefits that you are entitled to, such as:

Universal Credit if you are on a low income or out of work
Crisis Grants from Scottish Welfare Fund
Best Start Grants from Social Security Scotland.

You should also apply for Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit if you are eligible.

Reduce your Council Tax

Council Tax Reduction is awarded to people on a low income to help with the cost of their bill. You can apply whether you own or rent your home.

You can apply for Council Tax Reduction online.

Apply for Housing Benefit

You can apply online for Housing Benefit to help with your rent.

Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP)

If you need help to pay your housing costs, you may qualify for help from a council fund called Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).

These are extra payments made to help with housing costs like some or all of a rent shortfall over a few weeks or a new tenancy rent deposit

You can apply online for a Discretionary Housing payment or report a change in circumstance through MyAccount.

If you have any queries relating to Discretionary Housing Payment, email our Benefits team

Note that Discretionary Housing Payments for under occupancy are added to a Housing Benefit claim automatically.