Nicola Sturgeon welcomes extension to money advice scheme from GP surgeries

Nicola Sturgeon has welcomed an additional £300,000 investment to help vulnerable Scots access welfare and money advice from their GP practices.

More than £3 million has already been invested by the Scottish Government to fund the Welfare Advice and Health Partnerships (WAHP) programme since September 2021.

It aims to help those living in the most deprived communities address mental health concerns which are exacerbated by money worries.

Almost 150 GPs have already offered the service which allows patients to be directly referred to an in-house welfare rights officer for advice on increasing income, social security eligibility, debt resolution, housing and employment issues.

From the autumn, GP surgeries in 20 rural and 10 island communities will benefit from the additional funding to extend the service to patients who need it.

New participating surgeries will be identified from areas where the cost-of-living is already disproportionately high and people are likely to be more heavily impacted by the current crisis.

Speaking on a visit to the Forge Medical Practice in Glasgow’s Parkhead, which has offered the service since 2021, the First Minister said the scheme was providing “crucial” support.

She said: “This project and this approach is already having a very positive impact.

“It’s helping people to access benefits that they weren’t accessing, increasing and maximising people’s income, helping people navigate debt problems.

“So, with the cost-of-living crisis as it is, this is crucial support for individuals and often helps to address the root causes of mental health problems that will see people coming to a GP.”

She added: “Being able to make a service like this available in island communities and rural parts of the country where these problems exist but are often more dispersed will be a key part of helping individuals with what is a really difficult time for many financially.”

And Ms Sturgeon said the service will ease the workload pressure on healthcare professionals within GP surgeries.

GPs at the Forge Medical Practice told Ms Sturgeon that they will be able to focus on medical problems facing their patients while making urgent referrals for wellbeing support.

Robert Hannah, a money and welfare advice officer at the Parkhead surgery, said the project had helped reach vulnerable people who had been too embarrassed to seek help for their money worries.

He said: “I’ve seen engagement with people who probably would never have engaged with the service before, people who maybe fell through the cracks or had maybe been too embarrassed to ask for help or didn’t know where to go.”

Helping the patients tackle their money and debt woes often improves on their mental health, he added.

An evaluation of the original scheme, which covered nine GP surgeries in Glasgow, showed the average financial gain to individuals accessing WAHPs was more than £19 for every £1 invested in the scheme, and over £25 for every £1 invested when debt negotiation and management was included over a period of 12 months.