Help with benefits and money
We know that money can get tight and things can become difficult, especially with the current cost of living crisis driving bills and costs up.
Our Financial Wellbeing Team can help.
The team can offer a range of help and advice, including:
- Benefits advice, including finding benefits you may be eligible for and helping you apply
- Helping you challenge benefits decisions
- Help and advice on Universal Credit, including helping you apply
- Accessing furniture, carpets and/or white goods if eligible
- Accessing any grants and funds that may be available to you
- Accessing food provision
- Advice on money management and budgeting
If you don’t want to come into our office then we can visit you at home. Get in touch with us and we can discuss everything with you.
Meet The Team
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job ?
I’ve been at Hillcrest for 13 years now and when I saw the opportunity of being able to help tenants, I just knew it was the opportunity for me.
What is the best part of your job?
Working with tenants to bring positive outcomes for them to improve the quality of their lives.
What area would you class as your specialism?
housing benefit
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help ?
Just ask and don’t suffer in silence, we’re here to help!
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job?
I will have worked at Hillcrest for 5 years this July. I previously worked as Welfare Rights Officer in local authority.
What is the best part of your job?
Best part of the job is being able to provide support to our tenants which can help reduce their stress over the situation as the benefit system can be quite complex and not easy to navigate.
What area would you class as your specialism?
Have worked within the benefit system for many years. Speciality prior to this post would be disability benefits especially related to mental health.
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
The advice I would give to tenant who needs help would be dependent on what help the tenant needed.
Would listen to their needs and assess what the best course of action would be.
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job?
14 years in July this year
What is the best part of your job ?
Helping tenants to sustain and maintain their tenancies through benefit advice.
What area would you class as your specialism?
Benefit and grants advice and guidance.
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
That we’re always here to help, don’t be afraid to ask, we will do everything we can to support you
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job?
I have worked for Hillcrest Homes for 8 years. Prior to working in Welfare and Benefits I worked as a Sales Manager in Insurance and then advertising for 26 years. After taking redundancy from my sales management job in 2013 I volunteered at CAB and Trussell Trust Foodbank. This was around the time of the Welfare Reform Bill and I was very interested in how this would impact on families and individuals which led me into working in this area.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is being able to assist tenants to navigating through the complex benefit system and improving their financial situation. This can make a significant impact on a persons wellbeing. I do this at all life stages from new tenants signing for a property, young adults leaving home, relationship breakdowns, new babies, bereavements and changes to health and employment.
What area would you class as your specialism?
In addition to the DWP and Social Security Scotland benefits I adopt a holistic approach to access charity and grant funds that many tenants don’t know are available to apply for.
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
If any tenant needs help I would urge them to get in touch so we can discuss their situation and help
them find a way forward.
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job?
I have worked with Hillcrest Homes since 2019, before this I worked with Hillcrest Futures in one of the supported temporary accommodations in Edinburgh. I had worked for Shelter Scotland previous to this as a money advice worker so it seemed like a good opportunity to use these skills again within Hillcrest.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of the job is being able to improve people’s circumstances, it may not seem like a lot at times but to the person it can make a huge difference.
What area would you class as your specialism?
I am not sure that I have a specialist area however you certainly learn to become a jack of all trades as every tenant’s circumstances are different and I regularly go off researching what I can find that could improve their circumstances.
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
For any tenant who thinks they may need a bit of help I would say get in touch be it via phone, email or
the app and we just may be able to help in some way.
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job?
I have worked at Hillcrest since October 2023. I had been working in an admin role for just over 15 years, and this post seemed like a great opportunity to continue to grow within that area.
What is the best part of your job?
I think the best part of the job is speaking to a variety of people from different backgrounds, hearing about their challenges and knowing that 9/10 there is a solution to ease any issues they may be having.
What area would you class as your specialism?
I think I would say customer service, I will always take the time to listen to people and try my best to help in any way?
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
Don’t be afraid to reach out. I often speak to tenants who have been silently struggling for a long time,
and I think its important they know that we are here to help as much as we can
How long have you worked at Hillcrest and how did you get into the job ?
I’ve been with Hillcrest since 2018. I’ve always worked in some type of banking/finance industry. I wanted to do something that was more face to face and that could really make a difference. Welfare rights was a good fit for me.
What is the best part of your job?
working with people
What area would you class as your specialism ?
I’d probably say Disability Benefits
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. We can’t help if we don’t know you need it.
How long have you worked for hillcrest?
I have worked with Hillcrest since May 2024 having previously worked in a similar role for Dundee City Council.
What is the best part of your job?
Helping tenants who are in a difficult situation to make a real difference to their lives.
What would you class as your specialism?
I like to think I have a good practical knowledge of benefits and always go the extra mile for my tenants.
What advice would you give to a tenant who needs a bit of help?
We are here to help. Taking the first step in reaching out can be difficult, but remember we are here and will do our best to help support you.
Our case studies
Universal Credit
Universal Credit replaces a range of working-age benefits with one single payment, and was rolled out in 2018. This will affect new claims as well as people who have had a change in circumstances. Many queries with Financial Wellbeing Team are about Universal Credit.
Universal Credit replaces the following “legacy benefits”:
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Child tax credits
- Working tax credits
- Housing benefit
Universal Credit is paid monthly in arrears to one person in the household, and people may wait five weeks to receive the first payment.
An email address and access to the internet is needed as claims must be made and managed online.
If you want to know more about Universal Credit or get support in making a claim, The financial Wellbeing Team can help. Get in touch with now.
In addition to our Financial Wellbeing Team, there are local agencies that can provide benefit, budgeting and debt advice.
Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street, Dundee, DD1 1FA
welfare.rights@dundeecity.gov.uk
01738 476900
welfarerights@pkc.gov.uk
0345 1400 095
Saltire Centre, 10-12 Pentland Court, Glenrothes, KY6 2DA
Council Offices, St Mary’s Place, St Andrews, KY16 9UY
www.cabfife.org.uk
0131 200 2360
249 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ
advice.shop@edinburgh.gov.uk
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/benefits-and-advice
Angus Council Benefits and Money Advice
03452 777 778.
www.angus.gov.uk/benefits_and_money_advice
0141 572 0237
www.moneyadvicescotland.org.uk
0131 550 1000
www.cas.org.uk
0808 808 4000
www.nationaldebtline.org