Guide · Benefits · Scotland
Scottish Welfare Fund Guide 2026/27 -- Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants
The Scottish Welfare Fund is a council-administered safety net that fills a gap left when the DWP abolished the discretionary Social Fund UK-wide. It provides two non-repayable grants -- for genuine emergencies, and for helping people live independently -- decided case by case against statutory guidance rather than a fixed national eligibility table.
Key facts
- Administered by: Each local council, funded by the Scottish Government
- Two grant types: Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants
- Repayable: No -- both are grants, not loans
- Decided: Case by case, against statutory guidance
- Challenge route: Council first-tier review, then Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
- Not the same as: Discretionary Housing Payments, which are separate
Why the Scottish Welfare Fund exists
When the UK Government abolished the discretionary parts of the Social Fund (Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants) across Great Britain, the Scottish Government set up the Scottish Welfare Fund to continue a similar safety net, delivered locally by each of Scotland's 32 councils under national statutory guidance. It sits alongside, but separately from, Universal Credit, Social Security Scotland benefits and council-run Discretionary Housing Payments.
Crisis Grants
A Crisis Grant helps with essential costs when you face a genuine emergency or disaster and have no other money available -- for example, if a benefit payment is delayed or stopped, you have lost your home to fire, flood or other disaster, you have fled domestic abuse, or you are newly released from prison or hospital with no immediate income. It is intended for short-term, exceptional need rather than ongoing living costs, and councils typically aim to process Crisis Grant applications very quickly given their urgent nature.
Community Care Grants
A Community Care Grant supports people to establish or maintain a settled home in the community, rather than entering (or to help them leave) institutional or residential care, or to relieve exceptional pressure on a family, or to help a family stay together. Typical awards cover essential items like beds, cookers and other white goods, removal costs, or the practical costs of moving from unsuitable or temporary accommodation into a stable home.
Who can apply and how decisions are made
There is no single national list of qualifying benefits or fixed income threshold -- each council assesses your application against the fund's statutory guidance, taking into account your income, savings, existing support, and the nature of the emergency or need. This gives councils flexibility to respond to genuinely different circumstances, but it also means outcomes can vary somewhat between council areas.
Challenging a decision
If your application is refused, or you disagree with the amount awarded, you can ask your council for a first-tier review. If you are still unhappy with the outcome, you can request an independent second-tier review from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Because Crisis Grant decisions in particular relate to urgent situations, it is worth asking for a review as soon as possible rather than waiting.
How to apply
Applications are made directly to your local council -- most offer an online application, a phone line, or in-person support at a local office or through a welfare rights or money advice service. Be ready to explain your circumstances clearly, provide identification, and show evidence of your income and the specific emergency or need behind your application.