Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics: update to 30 June 2023

From April to June 2023, 83,590 applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund were received (Table 1). The majority were for Crisis Grants (62,770, Table 3), and a smaller number were for Community Care Grants (20,820, Table 2).

There were 1,080 fewer Community Care Grant applications (-5%) than in the same quarter in 2022 (Table 2, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from 30% increase in South Ayrshire (from 270 to 355 applications) to a 71% decrease in Shetland (from 30 to 10 applications). Application numbers increased in 15 local authorities and decreased in 17 local authorities.

Compared to the same quarter in 2022, there were 9,805 fewer Crisis Grant applications (-14%) (Table 3, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from a 15% increase in Na h-Eileanan Siar (from 70 to 80) to a 70% decrease in Shetland (from 45 to 15 applications). Crisis Grant applications increased in 7 local authorities and decreased in 25 local authorities. This decrease may be due in part of Cost of Living Payments that were made during May 2023.

Chart 1: Applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund – Scotland – Monthly



The most common reason for Community Care Grant applications was ‘Families facing exceptional pressure’ (36% of applications) (Table 4, Chart 2). The overall proportions of reasons has stayed broadly similar since 2020.

Chart 2: Reasons for Application – Community Care Grants - Quarterly

During April to June 2023, the most common reasons for Crisis Grant applications were different types of emergency (52,020, 83% of applications), followed by ‘Other’ reasons (10,255, 20% of applications) (Table 6, Chart 3). The ‘Other’ category increased greatly at the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, but has persisted at a higher level since, where it may have been expected to fall back to 2019 levels.

Within the ‘Emergency’ category, the most common reason was ‘benefit/income spent’ (26,870, 43% of applications). Within the ‘Other’ category, the most common reason was ‘Other – please specify’ (8,440, 13% of all applications).

Chart 3: Reasons for Application – Crisis Grants – Quarterly