Welfare support for north-east people welcomed

Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin has welcomed new figures which show that more than 6000 Welfare Fund Payments have been made to support constituents in the north-east between July 2022 and June 2023.

The Scottish Welfare Fund, consisting of Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants, is a national scheme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by local authorities which provides support to those most in need.

And latest figures have shown that in Aberdeenshire, 1210 Community Care Grants have been awarded in addition to 5320 Crisis Grants.

Since the Scottish Government introduced the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2013, £410 million has been awarded to support 519,890 individual households.

Ms Martin said: “The Scottish Welfare Fund is a vital resource that is supporting the most vulnerable individuals across Aberdeenshire.

“The fact this support remains so vital to Aberdeenshire is a damning indictment of the harm caused by over a decade of Westminster austerity.

“As Labour fail to commit to reversing Tory austerity policies – the Scottish Government continues to deliver the support required to tackle poverty and mitigate Westminster’s cruel welfare regime."

The Scottish Welfare Fund helps families and people in Scotland who are on low incomes through Community Care Grants, which support people to start to live, or to carry on living, a settled life in the community and Crisis Grants, for disasters (like a fire or flood), or emergencies (like an unexpected expense).

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