The Scottish Welfare Fund is made up of 2 different grants.

To apply for a grant from the Scottish Welfare Fund you must be:

• 16 or older
• on a low income or getting certain benefits

There are different grants you can apply for depending on your circumstances. You do not need to pay these grants back. 

• Crisis Grant – to help with an unexpected emergency like a fire or flood, losing your money or your job
• Community Care Grant – to help you or someone you care for to start to live, or to carry on living, a settled life in the community

Crisis Grant

You can get a Crisis Grant to cover the costs of an emergency.

Examples of this could include if:

• you need help to get food or with heating costs
• there’s a fire or flood at home
• you’ve lost money
• an unexpected crisis happens
• you’re a victim of domestic abuse and you need help with things like moving away from an abuser
• you’re a grandparent or other relative who has taken over caring for a child, and you’re waiting on a transfer of benefits
• you’re facing a gap in your normal income because of a redundancy or change at work

The Comhairle will tell you the outcome of your application within 2 working days.

Community Care Grant

You may be able to get a Community Care Grant if:

• you’re leaving care or imprisonment and need help to start a settled home
• you’ve been homeless, or living an unsettled life, and need help to start a settled home
• you need support to stay out of care
• you’re caring for someone who’s been released from prison or a young offender’s institution
• you’re experiencing great pressure and need help to keep a settled home
• you’re escaping domestic abuse
• a child’s health is at risk

The Comhairle will tell you the outcome of your application within 15 working days

Who can apply for a Crisis/Community Care Grant?

To get a Crisis Grant you need to be on a low income. This does not mean you need to be on benefits.

There’s no figure that confirms whether you’ve a low income. As a guide, if you’re on one of the benefits below, or your income is about the same as someone who is, it’s more likely you can get a grant:

• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) – Income based
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – Income based
• Universal Credit

If you have savings or money available to you, you will be less likely to get a Crisis Grant. If you have savings of over £700, or £1,200 if you get a pension, you’ll be less likely to get a Community Care Grant. 

Crisis Grants are limited to a maximum of 3 in 12 months and no more than 1 in 28 days. A payment may be made outwith these limits in exceptional circumstances.

To Apply for a Grant