Scottish Welfare Fund

Charities have welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to reinstate an energy support payment for all pensioners, describing the move as a "huge relief" for older people. Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville confirmed yesterday that on the roll-out of the new benefit next winte

Concerns about the fairness and consistency of grants awarded through the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) have been highlighted in a new report from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). The report highlights issues with the distribution of the Fund, which provides grants to those in crisis.

Community-based housing associations are finding it increasingly challenging to support new tenants, some of whom are waiting months for basic items due to extreme pressures on the Scottish Welfare Fund, the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF) has found.

The Scottish Government and local authorities spent £56 million last year to provide lifeline support and to help mitigate UK Government welfare policies, according to official figures. The annual update of Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics for 2022-23 includes annual statistics on Community Ca

Improvements to the way crisis support is delivered in Scotland have been set out in a new plan. The Scottish Welfare Fund provides a vital safety net which has paid out more than £380 million in emergency funds to more than half a million households over the last ten years.

Local authorities received 121,090 applications for Discretionary Housing Payments from April 2020 to February 2021 and had spent or committed to spend £74.2 million, according to new figures on the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF). Discretionary Housing Payments are awarded by local authoriti

The amount paid out in crisis grants to people in need increased by more than three quarters in the early stages of lockdown, according to the latest Scottish Government figures. The Scottish Welfare Fund awarded £5.2 million in crisis grants between April and June 2020, up 77% on the sam

People on low incomes will be eligible to receive a new £500 grant from the Scottish Government if asked to self-isolate. The new Self-Isolation Support Grant will help those who would lose income if they needed to self-isolate, such as those unable to carry out their work from home.

Councils in Scotland could have spent £5.8 million more to help people over lockdown if it were to match the increased Scottish Welfare Fund provided by the Scottish Government at the outset of the crisis, according to a new report.

Shelter Scotland has reiterated its call for an extension to the current eviction protections amid a 40% increase in applications for crisis grants. New figures from the Scottish Welfare Fund show there were 21,709 applications for crisis grants in June 2020, and a total spend of £1,310,8

A 37% increase in applications for crisis grants from the Scottish Welfare Fund highlights the need for an extension to the current protections against eviction, according to Shelter Scotland.

A 59% increase in applications for crisis grants in Scotland in March shows that low-income families are struggling to cope with the impacts of the coronavirus crisis, social security secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said. Monthly Scottish Welfare Fund figures show that crisis grant applic

Governments must not lose sight of the underlying reasons behind the increasing reliance on welfare, Shelter Scotland has warned after new statistics revealed an increase in awards by the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Angus Council’s online benefits calculator has helped residents to identify and confirm benefits totalling £3.4 million in the first critical week of the coronavirus lockdown. The calculator continues to be used to help families across Angus, identify b

A coalition of anti-poverty charities is today calling for a significant boost to the Scottish Welfare Fund to protect people in poverty.