Campaign group accusses councils

Scottish councils have been slated for not distributing vital Scottish Welfare Fund cash to the most desperate.

Scottish ministers added £45 million to the fund in response to the pandemic, more than doubling its funding.

But according to campaigners local authorities – who administer the Fund – are actually paying out less in grants to needy applicants than they did during the same period last year.

The government promised that by boosting the fund councils would have greater flexibility in making SWF payments “to ensure they can fully support people in financial crisis, including workers in the ‘gig economy’.”

However Scottish Government figures reveal that while in April and May 2019 councils disbursed a total of over £6.5 million in SWF grants, in April and May 2020 less than £6 million was paid out to needy people.

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty (ECAP) called it a “disgrace” that despite soaring need, at the height of the pandemic Scottish local authorities have actually reduced grants.

A spokesperson added: “Shirley Anne-Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, stated in the Scottish Parliament that the guidelines normally limiting crisis grants to 3% a year were scrapped. But an investigation by ECAP has revealed that virtually every Scottish local authority still declares on its website that Crisis Grants are normally restricted to three per year. The Highland Council website even declares: “You should not apply for a Crisis Grant if you have already had three crisis grants or awards made to you in the last 12 months”.

One applicant in Edinburgh, applying for a Crisis Grant during the pandemic, was wrongly told that they could not be awarded a Grant because they had already had three grants in the last 12 months. When ECAP challenged and denounced this as wrong, Edinburgh Council then did pay the applicant a Crisis Grant.

The spokesperson continued: “ How many applicants are being wrongly refused Grants? And how many people are being put off applying by Councils wrongly stating that the Crisis Grant limits still stand? This denial of support to people in need is unacceptable.”

They added: “Councils in Scotland must pay out the extra cash they have been given as grants to people in need. Councils must make clear the three Crisis Grants per year limit is scrapped and make payments accordingly.

“And the Scottish Government should tell local authorities they must widely publicise the extra support available, massively increase payments, and implement the new rules ending the restriction on Crisis Grant payments.”

Cosla has been contacted for a response.