WORKING parents in East Renfrewshire who struggle to make ends meet are being encouraged to take advantage of a new programme designed to help them boost their household income.

Backed by the Scottish Government, the Parental Employment Support Fund (PESF) helps parents identify and work towards a new employment goal, learn new skills, search for jobs, prepare for interviews and link with employers looking for staff with their skills and experience – all with the ultimate aim of helping them earn more money.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, leader of East Renfrewshire Council, said: “Now more than ever, we want to help parents to increase their income.

“This has been an extremely challenging year, with many people having their household budgets stretched and some having their working hours reduced as a consequence of the Covid pandemic.

“The programme is really practical and we can support working residents towards any goal – whether that’s upskilling to get a promotion in their current job or even retraining.

“The service is one-to-one and tailored to you, so it’s worth picking up the phone and speaking to the team.”

Funding is on offer to lone parents, those with three or more children and families where the parent or child has a disability.

Parents from an ethnic minority, whose youngest child is under the age of one and those aged under 25 who have the right to work in the UK are also eligible.

Residents who are not eligible for the programme can still be supported with job searching skills, training, CV writing, interview techniques and more through the free Work EastRen service.

To find out more, call 0141 577 8438 or send an email to worker@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk.

Anyone who would like help with benefit applications or reducing their household bills can get in touch with East Renfrewshire’s Money Advice and Rights Team (MART), which offers free, expert and confidential advice.

The MART service can be reached by sending an email to mart@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk or calling 0141 577 8420.