Menu

Useful contacts

Last updated: 03/02/2026

OPFS money and debt advice service

OPFS’s money and debt advice service provides free, confidential advice for single parents anywhere in Scotland.

Our expert advisers will work with you every step of the way to understand your financial situation, explore all available options for managing your debt and provide support with putting your chosen solutions into action.

Get in touch today

Get advice

The rules regarding benefit entitlement and how benefits interact are complicated. If you or your children are awarded new style Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment it may have an effect on other benefits you may be getting.

In most cases being awarded a disability benefit will entitle, or passport, you to extra support. In some cases you may find no change and in other cases you might find a reduction in what you receive.

For advice, call the Lone Parent Helpline on 0808 801 0323.

 

Local Council Welfare Rights Worker

All local authorities have a team who deal with benefit enquiries. Some will also deal with debt. Contact your local council for details.

 

Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB)

Citizen’s Advice website

Offices throughout Scotland offering advice and support on many issues including welfare benefits.

 

Universal Credit Helpline

For information on Universal Credit, new style Jobseekers Allowance and new style Employment and Support Allowance.

 

Disability Living Allowance Helpline

  • Telephone: 0800 121 4600 (Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm)
  • Textphone: 0800 121 4523

 

Department for Work and Pensions  (Personal Independence Payment Helpline)

  • Telephone: 0800 121 4433 (Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm)
  • Textphone: 0800 121 4493

 

Carers Trust Scotland

Carers Trust website

Telephone: 0300 772 7701

 

Social Security Scotland

Telephone: 0800 182 2222 (Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm)

 

GOV.UK

Information on benefits and how to apply for them.

Previous
Time off work when you are a carer

Back
Disability, sickness and care benefits

Exit this
site now
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

View Privacy policy

Covering your tracks

You may not want other people to know that you’ve been searching for information or help from OPFS.

When browsing the internet whether on a mobile phone, tablet or computer, you leave a ‘history’ trail of pages and sites you’ve visited.

It’s impossible to completely avoid being tracked online but if you’re worried about someone knowing which sites you’ve been looking at, there are some things you can do to help cover your tracks.

If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, try keeping another document or website open in a new tab or window while browsing. If someone comes in the room and you don’t want them to see what you’re looking at, you can quickly switch to another window or tab.

Deleting browsing history

You can delete the history of websites you’ve visited, but it’s important to know that if you delete your browsing history, someone else using the same device may notice.

If you share a tablet, mobile phone, laptop or computer with someone, they might notice that passwords or website addresses have disappeared from their history.

Find out how to remove your browsing history and other data from some of the most commonly used browsers:

Browsing in Private mode (incognito)

When browsing ‘incognito’, the internet browser won’t store cookies or record your browsing history on the computer, mobile or tablet.

This option is available on popular web browsers i.e. -

Toolbars

If you use a search toolbar in your web browser, remember that your searched items can be saved as part of your history. Find out how to delete your searched items from the following search engines: