New support for vulnerable families

Families with care-experienced children in West Lothian are set to see their share of nearly £100,000 in immediate cash support from the Scottish Government.

The grant, which will see £3,275,000 distributed to vulnerable families around Scotland, will also extend to families with children‘on the edges of care’.

West Lothian will receive £95,876 from the fund, which was calculated by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation - this index looks at factors like income, employment, and access to services.

Care-experienced children often come from families from a lower income.

This grant is set to support their families amidst the rising cost of living, the pandemic, and the £20 Universal Credit uplift by the UK government.

The funding which will help families get immediate access to food, fuel, and utilities, is currently being distributed across Scotland by local authorities and social enterprises. Funding will be granted by local authorities through social workers interactions with families, allocated entirely on need - there is no cap on the funding available for one family. Local Constituency MSP for Linlithgow, Fiona Hyslop, has welcomed the funding,

Fiona said:“Many children across West Lothian who are on the edges of care or are care experienced are often in families on low income and will be experiencing a cost of living crisis. “Funding for these families will ensure that they have immediate resources to ensure they can stay together.”