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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' ‘untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war ‘descended into chaos'
Police were called to the quiet suburban street after the feud escalated BISH BASH BUSH Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' 'untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war 'descended into chaos' A COUPLE has won a bitter neighbour dispute over an untrimmed hedge after five years of furious feuding. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, claimed their neighbours untrimmed cypress trees made their lives a misery. 2 The hedge was made up of a row of cypress trees Credit: Scottish Goverment DPEA The row of trees, belonging to David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry, sparked a five-year battle between the two couples in the quiet suburb of Prestonfield, Edinburgh. The neighbour war grew so bitter that it involved the Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Government and even the police. The Smiths claim the trees cast a shadow across their garden, forcing the pensioners to live out their retirement in darkness. Demanding that the trees be chopped down, the Smiths turned to the local authority but were left frustrated when they were refused. The couple paid a massive £350 fee for a High Hedge Notice application which was denied after a visit from a city council officer. Appealing the decision, the Smiths won and managed to successfully have the trees trimmed back to 8.5ft in 2023. After the bush was trimmed the Smiths claim that gaps where tree once stood were suddenly replaced by gardening tools, including ladders, pipes and concrete. The pair went on to claim that the trim was inadequate and called for the council to come back, which they did and agreed that the remaining trees should be further cut back. Mr Hunter left a single tree standing untrimmed however which he claimed was not part of the "boundary hedge" and therefore not subject to the High Hedge Notice. The Smiths then insisted the remaining tree be cut back too with the dispute turning ugly again. My neighbours said they'd sue me if I touched the top of our overgrown joint hedge - so I got creative and they can't say a word The couple, who have lived in their home for 44 years, continued their brutal battle to have the foliage lopped back. Things got so bad that in June of last year the police were called to the quiet suburb where they issued "two men" with "recorded police warnings." Mr Smith previously claimed to Edinburgh Live that his neighbours behaviour had been "atrocious" and branded the couple's actions "absolutely appalling." The hedge owners refuse to chop down their bush flat out and claim they feel harassed and intimidated by the Smiths. The Smiths previously said: "We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution." An appeal launched by Mr Hunter in a bit to save his tree was rejected and the last remaining part of the hedge will now have to be cut back to 8.5ft. 2 The Smiths were delighted when the last remaining part of the hedge was ordered to be cut back Credit: EdinburghLive/Media Scotland Mr Hunter insisted that the remaining tree was not part of the hedge and begged that it be allowed to stand. He said in a document seen by the Mail Online: "The individual tree identified in the varied notice cannot reasonably be said to be part of the boundary hedge. "It appears as a separate individual tree and has never been trimmed. "We would be very grateful if you would take all our points and concerns into account and request that you quash the revised high hedge notice." Despite his pleas Mr Hunter was ordered to cut back the remaining piece of his hedge to 8.5ft in line with the previous High Hedge Notice. The Smiths were delighted after a Government official stated that the tree did in fact cast a shadow over a "significant" portion of their garden. The official also stated that the previous High Hedge Notice applied to the whole hedge, including the remaining tree. Despite the best efforts of Mr Hunter the government official ruled that the hedge damaged the Smith's enjoyment of their home. The government ruled that the remaining part of the hedge is now subject to the High Hedge Notice and should be trimmed to 8.5ft.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
People making a new claim for Carer Support Payment due extra £293 lump sum
The qualifying date for the December payment of Carer's Allowance Supplement is October 13. Unpaid carers across Scotland are being urged to find out if they are eligible for additional financial support through Carer Support Payment, Carer's Allowance Supplement and Young Carer Grant. Carer's Allowance Supplement - a payment only available north of the border - was the first benefit delivered by Social Security Scotland in 2018 to provide extra financial support for carers, recognising their important contribution. The first £293.50 payment of the year was issued to more than 90,000 carers in June with the next lump sum due to land in bank accounts before Christmas. The payment of £293.50 is issued twice each year and gives those on Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment the potential to earn £4,475 over the 2025/26 financial year. The payment is issued by Social Security Scotland to people who receive Carer Support Payment or Carer's Allowance on a specific date. Only carers in Scotland are eligible for the December payment if they received Carer Support Payment or Carer's Allowance on October 13, 2025. It's important to be aware that the £293.50 Carer's Allowance Supplement is paid separately from any benefit payment from Social Security Scotland or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Carers eligible for the payment will receive a letter from Social Security Scotland before the payment is made, although this may arrive after the money has landed in accounts. Nobody needs to apply for the extra money as it is paid automatically to everyone who is eligible. On a visit to Midlothian Carers Centre to meet with parent carers of adults with additional support needs last month, Minister for Equalities, Kaukab Stewart, said: 'Social security in Scotland isn't about renaming benefits previously delivered by the UK Government. We are about delivering social security with dignity, fairness and respect, continually listening to what carers and support organisations have to say to help shape the changes we're making. 'We introduced Carer's Allowance Supplement and Young Carer Grant, which are only available in Scotland, and widened eligibility for Carer Support Payment to enable more carers in education to access it. We're also committed to introducing new extra support for carers who care for more than one person. Changes to help improve the lives of carers in Scotland. 'Social security is something anyone may need at any point in their life. It's a public service and I encourage all unpaid carers to find out if they are entitled to financial support and apply.' Carer Support Payment Carer Support Payment is the devolved equivalent to Carer's Allowance and is worth £83.30 per week to people providing 35 hours of unpaid care to family, friends or neighbours in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit. The payment is typically issued every four weeks which amounts to £333.20. The weekly earnings threshold is £196 - equivalent to 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage. Am I eligible for Carer Support Payment? Carer Support Payment is money you can get if you provide care for someone and meet certain eligibility criteria. You must: be 16 or over usually live in Scotland provide care for 35 hours or more a week, this includes if you provide care all day every day not earn more than £196 a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses The person you care for must already get one of these benefits: Adult Disability Payment – daily living component Child Disability Payment – middle or highest rate care component Pension Age Disability Payment Attendance Allowance Personal Independence Payment – daily living component Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance - middle or highest rate care component Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest rate care component Constant Attendance Allowance at or above normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension Armed Forces Independence Payment The type of care you provide To get Carer Support Payment, you must provide care for someone as an unpaid carer for 35 hours or more a week. It cannot be care you provide: as a professional care worker through a volunteering scheme or charity Even if you do not think of yourself as an unpaid carer, you might be eligible for Carer Support Payment. Examples of caring for someone include supporting them: with their mental health during an illness with a disability if they have an addiction Supporting someone with their mental health If you provide care for someone with a mental health condition, you might: comfort them during a panic attack stay close by so they do not feel alone support them through a crisis make sure they're safe keep them company Supporting someone with an illness or disability If you provide care for someone with an illness or disability, you might support them with: getting around getting dressed taking medicines using the shower or toilet cooking meals food shopping translating The person you provide care for You might provide care for: someone in your family a friend a neighbour You do not have to live with them or be related to them. You can only apply for Carer Support Payment for one person. If you provide care for more people, you are not entitled to extra payments. You can check if you are eligible for Carer Support Payment and find full details on the devolved benefit on the website here.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Full list of DWP benefit errors that can lead to refunds worth £1,000s – including PIP and state pension
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOUSEHOLDS should stay alert to benefit errors that could result in refunds worth thousands of pounds. If the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) underpays you, you may be entitled to claim back the money you are owed. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 We share what benefit errors could lead you tor receive money back Credit: EPA On the other hand, if you are overpaid on a benefit, you will be required to repay the money, and failing to do so could lead to legal action. This applies even if you were unaware of the overpayment and have already spent the funds. However, claimants may be eligible for back payments on several benefits, including the state pension and personal independence payments (PIP). Below, we outline who has been affected and how this might apply to you. State pension error If you took time away from paid work to look after a child or someone with an illness, you could be owed money back. The issue mainly impacts those carrying out caring duties between 1978 and 2010. During this time, the government had a system in place to ensure people would still be paid the state pension if they took time out for these reasons. This system was called Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) and it should have been automatically awarded to those claiming Child Benefit. But an error in the system found that hundreds of thousands of people were left with gaps in their National Insurance records that should not be there. Those impacted have been underpaid on their state pension or could be in the future. But the government has said that all issues related to the error should be resolved by March 2027. Disability benefit explained - what you can claim How to claim You might have received a letter if you are thought to be affected. People can check their eligibility for backdated HRP and make a claim via HMRC said the process takes around 15 minutes. According to MoneySavingExpert, the average amount being paid out is more than £7,000. What are state pension errors? STEVE Webb, partner at LCP and former Pensions Minister, explains what state pension errors are and how they can occur: The way state pensions are worked out is so complicated that many thousands of people have been paid the wrong amount for years without even realising it. The amount of retirement pension you get usually depends on your National Insurance (NI) record. One big source of errors has been cases where NI records have been incorrect, particularly for years spent at home with children. This is a system known as 'Home Responsibilities Protection'. Alternatively, particularly for older pensioners, the amount you get can depend on the NI contributions made by your spouse. Errors have arisen where the Government has failed to adjust the pensions of married women when their husbands retired or failed to increase pensions when someone was bereaved and lost a husband or wife. Although the Government has spent years trying to fix these problems, there are still many thousands of people – many of them older women – on the wrong pension. If you have always thought that your pension seems low, then it is worth contacting the Pensions Service to ask them to check, especially if you spent time at home raising children or if you were widowed and your pension didn't change when your spouse died PIP Benefit claimants could be owed cash from the government after a PIP payment error. A review was launched following a Supreme Court judgment in July 2019 that changed the way the DWP defines 'social support' in one of the assessed PIP categories. Dubbed the "MM judgement", the DWP realised that hundreds of thousands could now be due additional support. It means that people may not have been given one of the two elements of PIP when they were actually entitled to it. Others may have been awarded the standard rate but should have received the enhanced rate, which is a higher amount. It occurred after some people were given one of the two elements of PIP when they were actually entitled to it. The DWP launched a review in 2021, looking at cases since 2016. How to claim An estimated 633,338 households are thought to be have been affected by the error. The average payout works out at around £5,285 per claim, but you could get more or less. One couple told The Sun they were left shell-shocked" after learning that they were due £12,000 in back payments. The DWP tends to get in contact directly with claimants thought to be impacted. New PIP error The DWP has flagged two more errors relating to the benefits claim. That includes PIP claimants without a National Insurance number not having their claims processed correctly, even though it is not needed to make a claim. Up to £500,000 has been paid out to those impacted. Elsewhere, The DWP has also paid out £13million to Scottish PIP claimants who mistakenly saw a "loss of entitlement" when they tried moving over to the Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
