Latest news with #SCOTTISH
Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Major update on £450 a month benefit available to thousands of Scots
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE SCOTTISH Government has issued a major update on a £450 a month benefit that is available to thousands of adults. The Adult Disability Payment helps anyone who has a disability, terminal illness, or long-term health condition that affects their everyday life. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Ministers have shared a major update on the benefit Credit: Getty It is open to Scots aged between 16 and state pension age, and the payment is made up of two parts. These are daily living and mobility, and people may qualify for one or both parts. Scots may qualify for the daily living part if you need help with things like preparing food, taking nutrition (eating and drinking), managing therapy or monitoring a health condition and washing and bathing. While the mobility part refers to whether you need help with planning and following a journey or moving around. Depending on which parts you qualify for, you could get anywhere between £116.80 and £441.60 a month. But now, the SNP has vowed not to cut the payment as Labour announced plans to slash overall welfare payments. It comes as ministers look to cut the increasing welfare bill by clawing back billions of pounds of benefits. On Wednesday, the UK Government revealed its plans to slash benefits further in the House of Commons. The new plans will see changes made to a number of different benefits - including personal independence payment (PIP) and universal credit. The criteria for PIP is expected to become stricter, while those on UC will see the sickness-related element cut. Millions hit by benefit cuts as Rachel Reeves warns 'if you can work, you should work!' in bid to fix 'broken system' UC will also not be issued to anyone until they reach 22 years of age. Most Scots who claim sickness benefits do so through the Adult Disability Payment, which is devolved, rather than through PIP. But the cuts mean that there is likely to be less money available for Scottish benefits. However, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville promised that the Scottish Government "will not let disabled people down or cast them aside", according to the Daily Record. She said: "The reforms do not reflect the Scottish Government's values. "We will not let disabled people down or cast them aside as the UK Government has done. We will not cut Scotland's Adult Disability Payment. 'The UK Government should follow our lead and protect the social security safety system, rather than dismantling it. "If they do not, then disabled people can draw no other conclusion than the UK Government remain content to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.' Ms Somerville also called the UK Government's plans "hugely damaging" to struggling adults, especially during the current cost of living crisis. Who can apply for Adult Disability Payment YOU must be between 16 and State Pension age to apply for this benefit. You may qualify for the daily living part if you need help with: preparing food taking nutrition (eating and drinking) managing therapy or monitoring a health condition washing and bathing managing toilet needs or incontinence dressing and undressing communicating verbally reading and understanding signs, symbols and words engaging socially with other people face to face making budgeting decisions You may qualify for the mobility part if you need help with planning and following a journey or moving around. Do not apply if you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults. You would get these from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). You can apply for Adult Disability Payment if you: live in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Gibraltar have spent a major part of your life in Scotland You need to apply for Adult Disability Payment even if you get Child Disability Payment. You can apply any time from when you are 15, soon to turn 16, until your 18th birthday. If your application is successful, you will not have any gaps between payments. Branding it a "damaging policy", she said, "I strongly urge them to scrap their harmful proposals." She added: "With around half of all children in poverty in Scotland living in a household with a disabled person, the changes threaten to undermine the progress that we are making to reduce child poverty, and the work of the UK Government's Child Poverty Taskforce. 'That the UK Government is prioritising deep cuts to disabled people's support is made even worse by their failure to abolish the two-child limit, which is estimated to have pushed more than 35,000 children into poverty since July last year." UK Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the Daily Record: 'Our social security system is at a crossroads. Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it. 'This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity. 'This will give people peace of mind, while also fixing our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so while protecting those who cannot – putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.'
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Awkward moment darts hero Peter Wright left stunned as James Wade FARTS in front of him leading match to be stopped
It isn't the first time Wade's been involved in such an incident DARTS FARTGATE Awkward moment darts hero Peter Wright left stunned as James Wade FARTS in front of him leading match to be stopped Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTTISH darts star Peter Wright was left stunned after James Wade appeared to break wind right in front of him during a match. Wade was involved in yet another dart 'fartgate' incident in Players Championship 17. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 James Wade caused a stink during his match with Peter Wright Credit: X @viaplaysportnl 4 The Scottish legend wasn't impressed Credit: X @viaplaysportnl 4 He soon broke out in a smile Credit: X @viaplaysportnl 4 Wade didn't appear to be aware the match was being streamed LIVE Credit: X @viaplaysportnl The World No.10 kicked up a stink in a clash with fellow veteran star Wright in Leicester. Wade let rip during his 6-5 win over 'Snakebite' to reach the quarter-finals on Tuesday afternoon. Wright stepped back and laughed uncomfortably - but Wade's joke quickly backfired when the match caller told him the clash was being televised LIVE. Referee Owen Binks then informed the players: 'Oh boy, okay then… This is a streamed match guys.' Wade claimed: 'It slipped out.' And then added: 'Give it a second.' Wright thought it needed more than a second though, and Wade tried to prompt him back onto the oche, saying: 'Go ahead. Do you want nine more arrows?' It's not the first time the 42-year-old has passed wind during a darts match. He did the same less than a year ago in September 2024, also at the Players Championship. On that occasion he claimed it was his SHOES that made the noise. 'Stupid' - Josh Rock hits out at 'disrespectful' World Cup of Darts rival's on-stage antics He wrote on social media: 'I feel I must address a situation following my run to the semi-finals of PC22 today. 'Footage has emerged of me doing what appears to be a 'shart' at the end of one of my matches. 'It was actually the Velcro on my new trainers. I now consider this matter put to bed as don't wish to talk about it again.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Hillwalkers stunned after oil worker climbs Ben Nevis in Lord of the Rings armour
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOTTISH oil worker stunned his gym pals when he scaled Ben Nevis in full Lord of the Rings armour. Middle Earth megafan Jamie O'Connell, 35, was meeting with his group from Tough Cookie Fitness to climb to the UK's highest point in May. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Lord of the Rings megafan Jamie O'Connell climbed Ben Nevis in full Gondor armour Credit: Instagram 4 He recreated an iconic scene from the movies at the summit Credit: Instagram 4 He has been a fan since the first film was released in 2001 Credit: Instagram 4 His fellow hikers couldn't believe what they were seeing Credit: Instagram While most of his pals opted for the traditional hiking gear of waterproofs and boots he decided to break out his unique look. He made the full armour from the fictional nation of Gondor, which features in the fantasy series. The Fort William offshore worker shared pics on social media of him scaling the hill in the Gondorian getup, and even posing with signs pointing to the summit. He told The Scottish Sun: 'I don't know why I did it just thought, yeah this is something I wanted to do for a laugh. 'The guys in the gym are used to me now, I'm always making Instagram videos when I'm doing a workout, I've even come in dressed an an orc once. Stomping around like an orc is a good way to get the cardio going." Jamie's metallic ensemble featured chain mail. long metal plates covering his torso, shoulders and the side of his legs, iron gauntlets on his wrists and even a HELMET. He even recreated a scene from the films by lighting a red flare on the summit and bellowing: "The beacons are lit, Gondor calls for aid!" Despite the difficulties of scaling the mountain dressed for a quest, Jamie reckons it was worth it just to see people's reactions. He added: "I'm not going to lie, I didn't enjoy it at the time, but now I can laugh at it. "There were points where I was wanting to turn back, but I was almost halfway there. so I went, ah nah, we'll just see it through. "It definitely wasn't an enjoyable experience but the reactions I got from people made it all worth it." Man braves Storm Eowyn winds in Scots town while dressed as a KNIGHT He added: "It was a really busy day, there must have been around 500 people on the mountain that day. "Almost everyone who walked past stopped to say something about it or make a comment or have a bit of a laugh. "I've also had people message me on social media to say they met me on the mountain and they were glad they weren't actually hallucinating!" Jamie has been a Lord of the Rings fan since the films were first released nearly 25 years ago, and has created his own armour sets from the wildly popular films. He spent around £500 creating the Gondor armour, which is one of six sets he has made over the years, and wears them to Comic-Con conventions when he meets the actors who wore them in the movies. He said: "It was a custom-made job, because I go to Comic-Cons and stuff like that. "Depending on which guests from the Lord of the Rings are there, I'll kind of try and match which costume I'd wear to go and meet them. "If I went to meet Bernard Hill or something like that, I'd wear a Theoden armour but if I went to meet Billy Boyd, another Scottish actor, I'd wear the Gondor armour." Jamie added: "A famous line from the film which has since become a meme is 'one does not simply walk into Mordor'. "But I suppose in my case, one does not simply climb Ben Nevis, I'll do it in Gondor armour."
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots cops deny Spanish force claims of ‘Daniel clan link' to Monaghan and Lyons murders
Spanish top brass insist the suspect in the double killing is 'an internal member of the rival Daniels gang' AT ODDS SQUADS Scots cops deny Spanish force claims of 'Daniel clan link' to Monaghan and Lyons murders Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTTISH cops are standing by their assertion the murders of Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr are unconnected to gangland violence here - hours after Spanish investigators said the opposite. Police Scotland issued a statement hours after a press conference in Malaga during which top brass insisted the suspect in the double killing is "an internal member of the rival Daniels gang". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The moment caught on CCTV a shooter storms Monaghans bar in Fuengirola. 4 Murdered crime clan duo Eddie Lyons Jnr and Ross Monaghan. The stunning claims made this morning by investigators in Spain appeared to be in direct conflict with an earlier statement by Scots cops that they had 'no intelligence" to indicate the plot was hatched here. The murders of the two Lyons gang kingpins in Monaghan's Bar, Fuengirola, on Saturday, May 31, came after months of gangland violence across Scotland's two biggest cities. The chaos has been blamed by underworld sources on Dubai-based Ross 'Miami' McGill whose group Tamu Junto has claimed responsibility for targeting associates of caged Edinburgh kingpin Mark Richardson, 38, and members of the Daniel crime family. That resulted in fears the brutal assassinations of Monaghan, 43, and Lyons, 46, was an act of retaliation by mobsters with Daniel clan connections. But we told how Police Scotland and a relatives of Monaghan had ruled out that theory amid claims the execution was carried out by another mob not connected to Scotland. In a statement issued this evening, Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said : "We have been assisting Spanish colleagues with their investigation into the fatal shootings in Fuengirola. "We are not aware of any current evidence which suggests the deaths of these two men in Spain are linked to the recent criminal attacks in Scotland being investigated as part of Operation Portaledge. "We are aware of the statement from the Spanish Police and although we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation in another jurisdiction, our position remains that we have no current evidence to suggest that this incident was orchestrated from Scotland. "We are aware of the arrest of an individual in the Merseyside area and will continue to support colleagues in Spain where necessary and if required by them. " However, Spanish investigators today stated with some conviction a Daniel clan associate was their number one suspect. We told earlier how Mr Pedro Agudo Novo - head of the provincial Judicial Police unit - said: 'The double murder was carried out by a professional killer and member of one of the victims' rival gangs. 'In this case we're not talking about an independent hired killer but an internal member of the rival Daniels gang who ends up assassinating two members of an enemy gang." The Scottish Sun then put those comments to Police Scotland who today stood firmly behind their earlier stance that the killings are not the work of a Scots-based mob. We told how suspect Michael Riley, 44, from Merseyside, was arrested in Liverpool on Friday before appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday. Ross Monaghan - From Glasgow street thug to running with Global cartel bosses The double-murder suspect was remanded in custody during the brief hearing. Lawyers acting for Riley didn't make a bail application ahead of a second court date on Thursday when the alleged hitman is due to appear via video link. The court heard Riley was 'likely to abscond' if given his liberty while facing such grave allegations. The serious nature of the offences he faces was noted in the decision to remand Riley who is the subject of an extradition warrant by Spanish authorities over the murders of the Scots duo. Career criminal Monaghan - who fled Scotland for Spain after a failed attempt on his life in 2017 - was tried but acquitted over the murder of notorious Glasgow hood Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll at an Asda car park in 2010. In August 2017 he and Eddie Lyons Jr, both members of the Lyons Glasgow crime family, were cleared of being involved in a brutal street attack on three men outside the Campsie bar in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. 4 Associates of caged mob boss Mark Richardson have been under attack since March. 4 Ross 'Miami' McGill has been waging a gang war over claims of a drug deal con. Their deaths come amid an ongoing turf war in Scotland that's resulted in 45 arrests as part of Police Scotland's Operation Portaledge. Dubai-based former Union Bear McGill, 31, of East Kilbride, is said to have launched the campaign of violence after he was ripped off by associates of Richardson who used fake notes in a £500,000 cocaine deal.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Full list of bargain retail chain set to shut Scots stores for good – with massive closing down sale launched
Read on to check out some of the incredible bargains SHUTTERS DOWN Full list of bargain retail chain set to shut Scots stores for good – with massive closing down sale launched Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Original Factory Shop is closing several Scottish stores as a closing-down sale is launched. The discount department store has slashed the prices on everything, from clothing to gardening tools to toys. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Original Factory Shop in Peterhead Credit: Savills 4 The bargain retailer has a store in Perth Credit: Shepherd Chartered Surveyors 4 The popular chain has an outlet in Arbroath Credit: Shepherd Chartered Surveyors Clothing rails have been tagged with percentage-off signs as high as 30 per cent off. TOFS in Cupar, Fife, is packed with pretty dresses, linen pieces, and jeans. Elsewhere in Scotland, branches in Perth, Arbroath and Peterhead will pull the shutters down for the final time on June 28. And the chain is also selling stores north of the border, including in Nairn, Troon, Blairgowrie and Castle Douglas. There are also huge discounts across all footwear in the store - from trainers to heels. Over in the men's section, there is an abundance of polo shirts, gym vests, and t-shirts. SCOTTISH CLOSURES CLOSURES: Perth Arbroath Peterhead Cupar FOR SALE: Nairn, Troon Blairgowrie Castle Douglas It's worth stocking up on cleaning products and household essentials as they have a 10 per cent reduction on the price. For those sweet-toothed shoppers, there are plenty of deals across all confectionery. Photos of the sale went on the Cupar store's Facebook with the caption: "Up to 11 TOFS stores are already to set to close this month, including sites across Worcestershire, Durham and Cumbria." Meanwhile, another five stores across Nairn, Market Drayton, Troon, Blairgowrie and Castle Douglas have been placed up for sale. End of an Era: Aldo's Iconic Chip Shop Closes After 30 Years The Original Factory Shop has told The Sun that negotiations are ongoing with landlords - making it unclear whether these shops will remain open. It comes as part of a major restructuring carried out by new owner Modella Capital with a number of loss-making stores having to close as result. Over June nine of these stores will close, including sites in Dorest and Durham. Another site in Middlewich is also set to close however a date is yet to be confirmed.
