Increase in grants to help struggling families

STRUGGLING Scots received more than £9 million in grants in the first three months of the financial year under a government scheme to help them through difficult times.

The Scottish Welfare Fund awarded around 38,000 crisis and community care grants totalling £9.2 million between April and June, around a quarter (26 per cent) of the annual £34.8m budget.

The figure is also £1.2m more than was awarded during the same period last year.

Grants totalling £107m have now been paid out to around 217,000 households since the fund was established in April 2013.

Crisis grants are designed to help those on a low-income cope in the event of an emergency such as a fire or a flood.

Community care grants help people live independently and can also help households facing exceptional pressures with one-off items such as a cooker or washing machine.

Over the period, 66 per cent of community care grant applications were successful and around 11,000 awards at an average of £630 were made, typically for floor coverings, beds, soft furnishings, white goods and furniture.

For crisis grants, 72 per cent of applications were successful with around 27,000 awards made, averaging around just under £80 per award.

Most of those funds were for food, heating and other living expenses.

Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman said: “The Scottish Welfare Fund continues to provide a vital lifeline to people during their time of need, making sure funds get to those who need it most.”