Free advice helps Skye households claim support they were missing
Free, local advice is helping people on Skye and in Lochalsh claim financial support they were missing. The Citizens Advice Bureau’s newly published annual report records £341,577 in gains from unclaimed benefits for 134 clients during 2025–26.
Advisers check entitlements, help complete complicated forms and contact other agencies when needed. The wider service handled 5,722 client contacts across benefits, debt, housing, employment and energy.
One case in the report shows the practical difference. A woman struggling with mobility after a fall received help claiming Pension Age Disability Payment, securing a backdated payment and continuing support.
Rural distances, transport difficulties and digital exclusion still make help harder to reach. The bureau cannot maintain a regular presence in every community. Its current access guidance says enquiries are prioritised, with a response aimed for within five working days; a walk-in visit may lead to a later appointment.
By phone or in person, trained advisers give local people somewhere to work through the paperwork and find a way forward.
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