The Scottish Welfare Fund is made up of two types of grants which do not have to be repaid:

• Crisis Grants

• Community Care Grants.

Crisis Grants

Crisis grants can be given to people to cover the costs of an emergency, such as:

• A fire or flood.

• Needing to move away from domestic abuse.

• An unexpected change at work.

• Taking on responsibility for a child who needs your help, and you're waiting on a transfer of benefits.

• Needing help to get food or with heating costs. 

• An unexpected crisis.

Community Care Grants

Community Care Grants are for people who need a bit of help to be able to live independently.

They can be awarded to help:

• People leaving care facilities or prison to pay to set up their new home.

• People who might need to go into a care facility if they don't get some help.

• People setting up home in the community when they have been homeless.

• Families facing a lot of pressure and who don't have enough money to pay for the things they need to keep their children safe and secure.

• People who are caring for a prisoner or young offender who has been released.

• People who are escaping from domestic abuse.

• People who need money to protect a child's health.

Applies to: Scotland

Age rules: You must be aged 16 or over

Type of benefit: Means-tested

Administered by: Local authorities

You must be on a low income to get help from the Scottish Welfare Fund. There is no set definition of what this means, but it generally means your income should be similar to the income of someone getting benefits like Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

You don't need to be on benefits.

There is a fixed budget for each local authority, so applications will be prioritised according to local authority rules around need and circumstances. 

Crisis Grant

You can apply for a Crisis Grant to help cover the costs of an emergency. Here are some examples of situations where you might be eligible:

• You need help with food or heating costs.
• Your home has been affected by a fire or flood.
• An unexpected crisis occurs.
• You are a victim of domestic abuse and need help with things like moving away from an abuser.
• You are a grandparent or other relative who has taken over caring for a child, and you’re waiting for a transfer of benefits.
• You are facing a gap in your regular income due to redundancy or a change at work.

Generally, you can only get three Crisis Grants within a 12-month period, unless you have exceptional circumstance.

Community Care Grant 

You can apply for 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 has been released from prison or a young offender’s institution.
• You’re under significant pressure and need help to maintain a settled home.
• You’re escaping domestic abuse.
• A child’s health is at risk

You must usually have less than £700 in savings to get a Community Care Grant if you are under pension age. If you are over pension age, then you must usually have less than £1,200 in savings.

There is no limit on how many times you can apply for a Community Care Grant.

You can apply to the Scottish Welfare Fund through your Local Authority. To find the name and contact details for your Local Authority in Scotland, visit the Government website and enter your postcode.

Applications may be made face to face, on the phone, via on-line applications or by downloading and posting a form, subject to the Local Authority’s ability to provide these options.

Most councils will tell you the outcome of your application for a Crisis Grant within 2 working days, and within 15 working days for a Community Care Grant.

If you are refused a Scottish Welfare Fund grant, you can contact your local authority to review the decision. 

ask your local authority to review the decision.

If you don’t agree with their decision, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to review the decision.