Covering the period from 1 April 2013 to 31 December 2015, the money equates to around 70 per cent of the £35m available through the Scottish Welfare Fund for the year. This is around 1.5 percentage points less than at the same time last year.

The Scottish Welfare Fund comprises Community Care Grants – which help people to live independently – and Crisis Grants, which provide a safety net in a disaster or emergency.

During October to December 2015, processing times for Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants improved, compared to the same quarter one year ago.

Overall, 95 per cent of Community Care Grant applications were processed within the 15 working day limit, an increase of ten percentage points compared to the same quarter one year ago. Similarly, 98 per cent of Crisis Grant applications were processed within the two working day limit, an increase of two percentage points compared to October to December 2014.

During the quarter of October to December 2015, 66 per cent of Community Care Grant applications were successful. Around 11,000 awards were made, averaging around £600 per award. The awards were typically for floor coverings, white goods, and furniture.

The same quarter had 72 per cent of Crisis Grant applications that were successful. Around 24,000 awards were made, averaging around £80 per award. For Crisis Grants, most expenditure was on food, essential heating costs and other living expenses.

Since the scheme began in April 2013, around 191,000 unique households have been helped by the Scottish Welfare Fund, with awards totalling £89m to 31 December 2015.