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Welfare Rights/Benefit Advice

We Are Here to Help

ACHA’s Welfare Rights Officers are here to help tenants with all aspects of Income Maximisation, including benefit advice. For more info, click here.

Cost of Living Crisis

We can help with all of the following:

Referrals for Energy advice
Applications to the Flexible Fuel & Food Fund

Tenant Guide to Maximising Income

ACHA’s Welfare Rights Officers are here to help all ACHA tenants with all aspects of benefit advice including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals including representation at Tribunal. The benefits system can often be challenging and overwhelming to navigate, further complicated by the fact that benefits, grants and rebates can come from a variety of agencies and so it is often difficult to know where to go for the right support. Some benefits e.g. Universal Credit are administered by the UK Government and some benefits are now being devolved to the Scottish Government for example Child Disability Payment. Some benefits such as the Scottish Child Payment are only available in Scotland which can be overwhelming for claimants.

Additionally, local authorities have also been given responsibility for administering support and grant assistance. Using a holistic approach to bring all of this information to one access point, Welfare Rights Officers are committed to ensuring that tenants access the right information and level of support they require on an individual basis.

Our Welfare Rights Service provides a Welfare Rights Officer for each area in Argyll where you can contact your Welfare Rights Officer to arrange an appointment either by telephone or in person, face to face visits can be organised for the office or home whichever suits best. Please click on the following area leaflets for more information on the Welfare Rights Officer for your area.

For further information on benefits for working age and pensioners and please do not hesitate to contact ACHA’s Welfare Rights Service if you wish to check eligibility.

You can also contact our Welfare Rights Service on 0800 028 2755 or email welfarerights@acha.co.uk.

Please click on this link for useful information on some of the benefits available to maximise income.

Rent Payments Are Changing to Monthly Billing

We are making a change to the way we charge rent to make things simpler for you. In this post, we’ll breakdown what’s changing, why’s changing and how it affects you.

Starting 1 April 2026, we will switch from weekly to monthly billing. This change is designed to simplify the process for you.

Right now, your annual rent is split over 50 weeks with a two-week break in December. Under the new system, rent will be spread evenly across 12 months, making it easier than ever to track and manage your payments.

We are committed to supporting you through this transition. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our customer service centre on 0800 028 2755. Alternatively, you can visit one of our offices; locations and opening times can be found here: https://www.acha.co.uk/contact/

To find out why we’re making this change, and to learn how it will affect you, check out our Rent Increase Guidance Note.

Changes to Carers Benefits from 15th March 2026

Carers Support Payment

Social Security Scotland has three payments for unpaid carers. Carer Support Payment, a weekly payment of £83.30, has replaced Carer’s Allowance in Scotland. The payment is available to people providing care for 35 hours or more a week to someone who receives disability benefits. They need to earn less than £196 per week after tax, national insurance and expenses.

Carer Support Payment is also available to some carers in education. This includes fulltime students aged 20 or over and students under 20 who are in advanced or higher education. Some carers aged 16-19 in non-advanced education may be eligible. This includes those studying for National Certificates, Highers and Advanced Highers, who meet certain criteria, for example, not having any parental support.

Please click on the link for more information https://www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment

Young Carers Grant

is available for carers aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 years who provide support for an average of 16 hours a week to someone receiving disability benefits. It is a yearly payment of £390.25 and the money can be spent on whatever the young person wants.

Please click on the link below for further information.

https://www.mygov.scot/young-carer-grant

From 15^th March 2026, Scottish Carer Supplement will replace Carer’s Allowance Supplement, which will be an extra payment awarded automatically to carers in receipt of Carer Support Payment.

Scottish Carer Supplement provides an extra £11.29 per week (25/26) increasing to £11.70 per week (26/27) and will be paid alongside Carer Support Payment – this ensures it is disregarded as income or capital.

Eligibility

A carer will be entitled for every award week that they are paid Carer Support Payment – those with underlying entitlement are not eligible.

Carers Additional Person Payment (CAPP)

The first payment of its type made to carers with multiple caring roles in Scotland.

The payment will be paid for each additional person cared for and there is no limit on the number of awards carers can receive. Carers Additional Person cannot be paid where another carer is already receiving CAPP for the same additional cared for person.

Carers can receive CAPP for an additional cared for person where another carer is receiving Carer Support Payment, Carer’s Allowance, Young Carer Grant or the Carer Element of Universal Credit for the same additional cared for person.

Carer Additional Person Payment is a £10 weekly payment (25/26), increasing to £10.40 (26/27), paid alongside Carer Support Payment– this ensures it is disregarded as income or capital.

Eligibility

Carers must be paid Carer Support Payment
Care at least 20 hours per week for one or more additional person(s) who receives a qualifying disability benefit.
Caring hours can be carried out at the same time across all cared for persons.
Care cannot be provided as part of a contract of employment or where volunteering as part of a charitable/non-profit org.

If you require any help or assistance or, wish further information please contact us on 0800 028 2755 or e-mail Welfarerights@acha.co.uk

Changes to Universal Credit in 2026

From April 2026, the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element of Universal Credit will be reduced for new claimants, from £423.27 to £217.26 per month. Existing claimants will continue to receive the higher rate of £429.80, which will be frozen at its current level until 2029/2030. The standard allowance for Universal Credit (UC) will increase annually from April 2026, and the name for the LCWRA element will change to “health element”.

The Work Capability Assessment will continue for the time being, but the government is developing a new system to assess a person’s ability to work and apply sanctions.

What this means for claimants:

If you already receive LCWRA: You will continue to receive the higher rate, and your payment will not be reduced due to these changes.
If you are a new claimant after April 2026: You will receive a lower LCWRA amount, unless you meet the criteria for a severe condition.