Benefits - Scottish Welfare Fund

The Scottish Welfare Fund offers two types of grant:

• Crisis grants provide help for people who need help quickly because of an emergency or disaster.
• Community care grants are made to help people on a low income live independently in the community or to ease pressure on families

How to claim

Apply for a grant

Contact us for advice on Freephone 0800 083 1887

Privacy statement - how we use your information

Crisis Grant or Community Care Grant

You must be 16 years or over and on a low income.

For a Crisis Grant you must not have access to any other appropriate source of financial support.

We determine what constitutes a low income.  A person entitled to one of the following benefits will be considered to have met the condition of being on a low income. However, it is not essential to be in receipt of one of these benefits to be eligible:

• Income Support
• Income- based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income related Employment Support Allowance
• Universal Credit,
• Pension Credit
• Incapacity Benefit

You are assessed as an individual but information on your partner and other members of the family is collected, for example in relation to income, health issues and other problems, to help us prioritise.

If you disagree with a Community Care Grant or Crisis Grant decision you can ask for a First Tier Review.

Applications for review should:

• Be made within 20 working days of the original decision, though we may use our discretion to allow later applications
• Be made in writing and explain the reason for the application for review and the date of the decision being questioned
• Include an explanation if there has been a change of circumstances since the original application
• Be signed by the applicant. If made on behalf of the applicant, consent should usually be required from the applicant in writing unless this places unreasonable demands on the applicant, for example due to disability or other health issues, problems with literacy

Please write to:

Independent Second Tier Review

If you are unhappy with our decision, you have the right to ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) for an independent review. The SPSO is not part of the council.

You should ask the SPSO for an independent review within one month of receiving our decision. In some circumstance you may be able to ask for a review after this. You should contact the SPSO for for advice.

You can ask the SPSO for an independent review over the phone or in writing.  If you prefer, they will send you a form in the post, or you can print the form from the SPSO website or fill it in online. 

Contact details for the SPSO

The SPSO can give you information in other languages or formats (such as large print, SMS, audio or Braille).  In some case, the SPSO may be able to meet you in person. 

• Read our guide to the Scottish Welfare Fund