Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics: update to 30 September 2023

From July to September 2023, 87,460 applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund were received (Table 1). The majority were for Crisis Grants (65,670, Table 3), and a smaller number were for Community Care Grants (21,790, Table 2).

There were 1,325 fewer Community Care Grant applications (-6%) than in the same quarter in 2022 (Table 2, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from 23% increase in Perth & Kinross (from 325 to 395 applications) to a 34% decrease in Orkney (from 40 to 25 applications). Application numbers increased in 8 local authorities and decreased in 23 local authorities.

Compared to the same quarter in 2022, there were 2,305 fewer Crisis Grant applications (-3%) (Table 3, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from a 38% increase in Orkney (from 20 to 30) to a 24% decrease in South Ayrshire (from 1,165 to 890 applications). Crisis Grant applications increased in 15 local authorities and decreased in 16 local authorities.

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

The most common reason for Community Care Grant applications was ‘Families facing exceptional pressure’ (39% 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 July to September 2023, the most common reasons for Crisis Grant applications were different types of emergency (54,200, 83% of applications), followed by ‘Other’ reasons (10,935, 17% 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’ (26,665, 41% of applications). Within the ‘Other’ category, the most common reason was ‘Other – please specify’ (8,975, 14% of all applications).

Chart 3: Reasons for Application – Crisis Grants – Quarterly