Scottish Welfare Fund

The Scottish Welfare Fund is a national scheme run by local authorities, based on guidance from Scottish Ministers.

The objectives of the new scheme are to:

• Provide a safety net in a disaster or emergency, when there is an immediate threat to health or safety.
• Enable independent living or continued independent living, preventing the need for institutional care.

There are two types of grants - Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants.

A Crisis Grant aims to help people, typically on benefits, who are in crisis because of a disaster or an emergency. A disaster is something like a fire or a flood. An emergency may be requiring travelling to visit a sick child or when money has been lost or stolen.

Community Care Grants are made to enable independent living for those leaving institutional care, or continued independent living, preventing the need for institutional care.

Page last updated: 9 October 2017