helping to change your lives

Empowering Communities Together

Providing essential welfare and debt advice for Edinburgh's ethnic communities, fostering support and understanding.

Our Services

We provide expert welfare and debt advice to support ethnic communities living in Edinburgh.

Welfare Benefit Advice

Offering comprehensive assistance on welfare rights and benefits tailored for ethnic individuals in Edinburgh

Housing Benefit / Housing Support

Helps people on low incomes pay rent, now mainly provided through Universal Credit.

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Financial help for people who are actively seeking work (being phased out in favour of Universal Credit).

Carer’s Allowance

For people caring for someone with substantial care needs.

Additional Support:

Council Tax Reduction – helps reduce council tax bills.

Free school meals, Healthy Start vouchers, and cold weather payments.

Social Security Scotland Benefits and Grants

Social Security Scotland delivers a range of devolved benefits to support people living in Scotland. These include financial help for families, carers, disabled people, and those on low incomes. The key support areas are:

Support for Families

Scottish Child Payment – Weekly payment for eligible low-income families with children under 16.

Best Start Grant – One-off payments for pregnancy, early years, and school-age children.

Best Start Foods – Prepaid card to buy healthy food for pregnant women and young children.

Disability and Health

Child Disability Payment – For children and young people with disabilities or health conditions.

Adult Disability Payment – For adults with daily living or mobility needs (replaces PIP in Scotland).

Support for Carers

Carer Support Payment – For unpaid carers (replacing Carer’s Allowance in Scotland).

Young Carer Grant – Annual payment for young people (16–18) who care for someone regularly.

Bereavement and Heating

Funeral Support Payment – Helps cover funeral costs for people on low incomes.

Winter Heating Payment – Annual payment to help with heating bills for eligible households.

Support for Young People

Job Start Payment – One-time payment for young people (16–24) starting a new job after a period of unemployment

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Debt Advice

Providing personalized debt management solutions and support for ethnic individuals struggling with financial issues.

At EMAC, we offer free, confidential, and culturally sensitive advice to help you take control of your finances.

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Step 1: Understand Your Situation

Gather all your debts (credit cards, rent, energy bills, etc.)

Note how much you owe and to whom

Work out your income and essential expenses

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Step 2: Get Advice

Our advisers will:

Prioritise urgent debts (like council tax or eviction risk)

Help you understand your options

Contact creditors on your behalf if needed

All advice is private and non-judgemental.

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Step 3: Choose a Solution

Depending on your situation, you may qualify for:

Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS)

Pay debts over time with frozen interest (Scotland only)

Minimal Asset Process (MAP)

Write off debts if you have low income and few assets

Trust Deed

Formal plan to repay some debt – the rest may be written off

Sequestration

Full bankruptcy – for severe unmanageable debt

EMAC offers support in multiple languages and understands the unique financial challenges faced by ethnic minority communities.

Engaging workshops focused on financial literacy and welfare rights for ethnic communities in Edinburgh.

Community Workshops

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Community Support

Providing essential welfare and debt advice for ethnic communities.

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Debt Assistance

Helping individuals manage and overcome financial challenges effectively.

A black and white illustration featuring a man holding two signs. The left sign mentions a reduction in income tax on earned incomes, and the right sign discusses funds set aside for old age pensions. Two other men wearing hats are looking up at the man holding the signs. The text at the top reads 'Help for the Workers', and there is an explanation about Mr. Asquith's budget at the bottom.

Welfare Guidance

Offering support for various welfare-related issues and concerns.

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