The extra money will come from protected funding the council has been awarded to support low income households.

The Scottish Welfare Fund offers Crisis Grants to help people with an unexpected emergency like a fire or flood, or losing all their money. Community Care Grants are also available to help those who are about to leave care to live on their own in the community, or to help if they are struggling to provide a safe and secure home for their family.

The additional funding will come from Midlothian’s £1.36 million share of the Scottish Government’s Local Authority COVID Economic Recovery Fund (LACER), which has been distributed to councils across Scotland.

The decision to allocate more money to the Welfare Fund was taken by the council’s Cost of Living Task Force, headed by council leader, Councillor Kelly Parry.

“The cost of living crisis has hit people hard across Midlothian,” said Councillor Parry. “It comes as no surprise that we are seeing an increased demand for crisis funding as a result, as more and more people struggle to make ends meet. This additional funding, which we have been able to provide with Scottish Government financial backing, will allow us to help more local families and individuals who urgently need support.”

Scottish Welfare Fund applicants must be at least 16 years of age and should normally be entitled to Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (with no other household income), Employment and Support Allowance (with no other household income) or Pension Credit. Applicants who can demonstrate that they have such a low income that it would be reasonable to get an award may also be eligible.