Council Advice Services

Council Advice Services and the Scottish Welfare Fund offer essential services to Dundee citizens during the cost of living crisis. Note that the services work via telephone and email but are still able to provide help and assistance as normal. We offer face to face services if required.

For example the Connect Team offer face to face advice on different days in a wide range of venues across Dundee. Check out our map of Connect venues on Google Maps to see when they are in your area.

Our telephone services are available Monday to Friday 9.30am-4.30pm

Please telephone 01382 431188 and select the correct service as detailed below:

For Scottish Welfare Fund press 1
For Council Advice Services press 2
For DEEAP Energy Advice press 3

Council Advice Services

Council Advice Services (CAS) is a service combining three of Dundee City Council advice teams:  Welfare Rights, CONNECT Welfare Reform and Dundee Energy Efficiency Advice Project (DEEAP).

The service will provide advice and assistance with:

• Money and Benefits Advice
• Debt Advice
• Benefits
• Energy Advice and much more

Our friendly professional officers can offer help and support to assist you by telephone at present.

Act Now!  Call us on 01382 431188 (option 2)

or email us at cas@dundeecity.gov.uk 

Latest Benefit Updates (March 2025 update)

New Pension Age Disability Payment and Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance in Scotland 

Pension Age Disability Payment

The Scottish Government’s Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) opened for new applications in five Phase one local authority (LA) pilot areas from 21 October 2024.

• Pension age adults with a disability or health condition, who are not already in receipt of Attendance Allowance, and living in one of the five Phase one pilot LA areas are the first to be able to apply.

• Social Security Scotland will administer this new payment to replace Attendance Allowance, which is currently delivered by DWP.

• The timeline for the introduction of PADP is as follows:

• Phase one pilot: takes place in Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney and Shetland from 21 October 2024.

• Phase two pilot: takes place in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, Falkirk, Fife, Moray, Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles), North Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, South Ayrshire and Stirling from 24 March 2025.

• Applications will be open to every area in Scotland from 22 April 2025.

• You can find out more about PADP on www.mygov.scot

• Claimants with ongoing awards of Attendance Allowance do not need to apply for PADP. Their awards will be transferred automatically to the new Scottish system, with no break in entitlement or payment. Further details on this will be shared when it becomes available.

Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance

• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA) is a new benefit that replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for Pension age people resident in Scotland. 

• It is a closed benefit. This means that there will be no new applications for SADLA, and only those with ongoing DLA in Scotland will be eligible to receive it. These claimants will have their DLA award transferred automatically to Social Security Scotland, with no break in entitlement or payment. Further details on this will be shared when it becomes available.

Latest Benefit Updates (April 2024 update)

Universal Credit Migration Important Update for those receiving most legacy benefits

Most legacy benefits are coming to an end, and people will need to apply for Universal Credit instead.  Look out for a letter called a Universal Credit Migration Notice from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) explaining what you’ll need to do, and when. The timetable for letters depends on what tax credits/other benefits you are currently receiving. The latest timescales are shown in the following table:

Note: It is important that in order to receive Transitional Protection, you do not make a claim for Universal Credit before you receive a Migration Notice letter.

Please don’t ignore this letter as your legacy benefit will end and if you haven’t applied for Universal Credit there will be a delay in receiving your benefits. Before you apply for Universal Credit, it is important to ensure your current claim is correct. For Tax Credits, it is important to renew your tax credits, if you are asked to by HMRC (who manage Tax Credits), and check all your tax credits information is right. This is to help make sure the amount of Universal Credit you receive is correct.

On Universal Credit, many people will be entitled to the same amount they received from their previous benefits, or more. If the amount you are entitled to on Universal Credit is less than your existing benefits, a top up amount is available. This is called Transitional Protection. You can get the Transitional Protection if you have received a Migration Notice letter from DWP and make a claim by the deadline date on your letter. You will not get this Transitional Protection if you apply for Universal Credit before you receive your Migration Notice so wait for this notice to arrive before applying. 

If you are having difficulty with this process, or you wish to ensure your current claim is correct before moving over, please use local Advice agencies  

Welfare Rights Team 01382 431188 (option2)
Citizens Advice 01382 214633
Brooksbank Advice Centre 01382 432450