Scottish Welfare Fund
Home | New Scottish Benefits |The Scottish Welfare Fund provides crisis grants for living expenses in the event of an emergency or disaster, and community care grants to enable and support independent living.
WHO CAN GET A SCOTTISH WELFARE FUND PAYMENT
Crisis grants are for short-term living expenses if there is an emergency, or living expenses and items if there is a disaster. They provide a safety net when there is an immediate threat to health or safety. To get a crisis grant you must be on a low income or be unable to access your money. Read more about what this means.
Community care grants are paid to support independent living. You could get a grant:
- if you or your family is under exeptional pressure
- to help you or someone you care for get established in the community after a period in care or prison
- to help you or someone you care for stay in the community rather than going into care
- if you’ve been homeless or had an unsettled way of life and will have support to sustain a tenancy
- if you’re looking after a prisoner or a young offender who is on temporary release
To get a community care grant you must be on a low income or be unable to to access your money.
WHAT YOU GET
Crisis grants help pay for essentials like food or heating.
You can be paid cash or be given the items you need. Your local authority can also make payments using pre-paid cards or vouchers.
APPLYING FOR A SCOTTISH WELFARE FUND PAYMENT
You apply for a crisis grant or community care grant from your local authority.
If you disagree with a Scottish Welfare Fund decision, you can ask the local authority to review it. Apply within 20 working days of the decision. If you apply later than this, explain why you didn’t apply earlier.
If you’re not happy with the outcome of the review, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
If you’re unhappy with the way your application was handled rather than with the decision itself, you can complain to the local authority. If you’re still unhappy after this, you can complain to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.