Scottish Welfare Fund

What the Scottish Welfare Fund is

The fund is run by Scotland's 32 councils. You apply to the council where you live. If you are leaving prison, hospital or care, apply to the council where you intend to live.

You cannot apply through the Scottish Government. The grants are not loans, so there is nothing to pay back.

Crisis grant Scotland

A Crisis Grant helps after an emergency or disaster. It is there to avoid serious damage or serious risk to your health or safety, or your family's.

It can cover:

• short-term living costs until your next income is due, such as food and heating
• emergency travel
• emergency hostel costs if you are stranded
• living costs or items after a disaster such as a fire or flood

mygov.scot also lists help for people fleeing domestic abuse and kinship carers waiting for benefits to move. Income gaps after redundancy are covered too.

Councils pay item awards in cash or a cash equivalent, unless another form is better for you. Several councils pay by PayPoint voucher.

Community care grant Scotland

A Community Care Grant helps you live on your own in the community, or keep doing so. You need to be in one of five situations.

1. Leaving care or prison. This generally means a stay of 3 months or more in the last 9 months, or two or more stays.
2. Staying in the community to avoid going into care or hospital.
3. Setting up home after homelessness or an unsettled way of life.
4. Your family, or you, facing exceptional pressure.
5. Caring for someone on temporary release from prison or a young offenders institution.

Typical items include beds, a settee, an armchair, a wardrobe, carpets, curtains or blinds. Grants also cover cookers, fridges and washing machines. Removal, storage, installation, connection costs and repairs can be included.

The council may pay in cash, a cash equivalent or the goods themselves. Goods can include delivery and fitting.

Who can apply

You must be 16 or over and on a low income. You do not have to be on benefits. Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based JSA or income-based ESA are used as guides.

The only residence rule is that you live in a council area. Refugees can apply. People with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can also apply.

People with a "no recourse to public funds" condition cannot get a grant. Asylum seekers cannot either.

Money you owe the council must not be a reason to refuse you.

Savings

mygov.scot says savings over £700 make a Community Care Grant less likely. The figure is £1,200 if you get a pension or are of pension age.

How many crisis grants you can get

You can normally get three Crisis Grants in any rolling 12 months. The limit counts awards from all councils, not just yours.

Each partner in a couple can get three. Councils can go above the limit in exceptional circumstances.

A repeat application for the same items within 28 days need not be looked at again. The exception is when your circumstances have changed.

Scottish Welfare Fund application: how to apply

Councils must take applications online, by phone and face to face. Face-to-face applications must be offered to people who are more vulnerable. Some councils accept paper forms.

1. Find your council in the table above and check how it takes applications.
2. Apply online, or call if you cannot use the form. Some councils call you back.
3. Give details of your income, your household and what you need.
4. Send any evidence the council asks for. The decision time starts once it has everything.

Some online forms time out. Fife's form expires after one hour. Renfrewshire's sessions end after 20 minutes unless you save.

What to have ready

• Your address and the council you live in, or the one you are moving to
• Your income and any benefits you get, for you and your partner
• Your savings
• What you need and why, such as the emergency or the move into a new home
• Dates of any stay in care, prison or hospital, if you are leaving one
• A phone number the council can reach you on

Crisis grant or DWP advance

If your DWP payment is late, a Short-Term Advance from the DWP is usually the right route. Several councils say so on their own pages.

How long decisions take

Each time starts once the council or the SPSO has all the information it needs. mygov.scot says most councils aim to give a Crisis Grant result within 2 working days.

Reviews and the Ombudsman

If you disagree with a decision, there are two stages.

1. First tier review: ask your council within 20 working days of the decision. Ask in writing by letter or email, though some councils take phone or in-person requests. Someone not involved in the first decision looks at it again.
2. Independent review: if you are still unhappy, ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO). You have one month from getting the council's review decision.

Councils can accept a late review request if you have a good reason. The SPSO can also look at late requests in some cases.

The SPSO review is free and independent. It can change all or part of the decision, or tell the council to decide again. It will not reduce or remove an award.

You can call the SPSO free on 0800 014 7299, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. You can write to FREEPOST SPSO, or use its online form.

Scottish Welfare Fund Glasgow

Glasgow City Council says applying online is the quickest way. You can apply for a Community Care Grant online at any time of day.

Crisis grant help in Glasgow runs Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. If you cannot download the paper form, call 0141 276 1177 and choose option 1.

Paper forms go to the Scottish Welfare Team, Glasgow City Council, 45 John Street, PO Box 36, G1 1JE.

How councils differ

The rules are national, but councils run the fund in different ways.

• Inverclyde takes applications by phone, not online. A paper form is also available.
• Shetland has only considered applications rated High Priority or above since 1 June 2026.
• South Ayrshire rated Community Care Grants at High priority from 3 September 2025. When demand is high, it supports only the highest priority cases.
• Stirling asks you to phone and will call you back within 4 hours to take your application.
• Fife takes Community Care Grant applications online only. You can book a phone or in-person appointment if you need help.
• West Dunbartonshire asks you to allow 2 working days for a Crisis Grant. For a Community Care Grant it asks for 21 working days.

Quick answers

How quickly is a crisis grant paid in Scotland?

Once it has all the information, the council must decide by the end of the next working day. mygov.scot says most councils aim to decide within 2 working days.

How many crisis grants can I get in a year?

Normally three in any rolling 12 months, counted across all councils. Each partner in a couple can get three, and councils can allow more in exceptional circumstances.

Do I have to pay back a Scottish Welfare Fund grant?

No. Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants are grants, not loans.

How much savings can I have for a community care grant?

mygov.scot says savings over £700 make a Community Care Grant less likely. The figure is £1,200 if you get a pension or are of pension age.

How long does a community care grant decision take?

The council must decide by the end of the 15th working day after it has all the information it needs.

How do I challenge a Scottish Welfare Fund decision?

Ask your council for a first tier review within 20 working days. If you are still unhappy, ask the SPSO within one month of the review decision. The SPSO line is 0800 014 7299.

How do I apply for a crisis grant in Glasgow?

Online is the quickest route. Crisis grant help runs Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. If you cannot download the paper form, call 0141 276 1177, option 1.

Can I get a crisis grant if my Universal Credit is late?

A delayed DWP payment is usually covered by a DWP Short-Term Advance rather than a Crisis Grant. Several councils state this on their pages.