Scottish Welfare Fund
Details of how to apply and who can apply for Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants through the Scottish Welfare Fund.
What is the Scottish Welfare Fund?
Scottish Local Authorities are responsible for the administration of the Scottish Welfare Fund. The discretionary scheme provides two types of grant - Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants. These grants do not need to be paid back.
Crisis Grant
Crisis Grants can be awarded in a crisis to meet expenses that have arisen as a result of an emergency or disaster in order to avoid an immediate threat to health or safety.
Grants are available to anyone aged 16 or over, and to apply applicants should normally have a low income, or have no access to their money. To be considered to be low income you should be in receipt of an income-related benefit such as Income Support, Pension Credit, Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance, or Universal Credit, or your income is about the same as someone who would receive one of these benefits. You may find our Benefit Calculator useful.
The key test of eligibility for a Crisis Grant is the severity of your situation and the likely impact of the grant on you and your family, if you have a family.
Examples of this could include if:
- you need help to get food or with heating costs
- there's a fire or flood at home
- an unexpected crisis happens
- you're a victim of domestic abuse and you need help with things like moving away from an abuser
- you're a grandparent or other relative who has taken over caring for a child, and you're waiting on a transfer of benefits
- you're facing a gap in your normal income because of a redundancy or change at work
- you have just been released from prison
You will not get a Crisis Grant if one of the following applies:
- if we cannot confirm that you currently reside, or will very soon reside in West Lothian.
- you have no recourse to public funds.
- you have applied for asylum to stay in the UK and are still waiting on a decision (do not yet have leave to remain).
- if you are able to get financial help from any other appropriate source.
- you have already applied for the same goods/services within the last 28 days, unless you have had a relevant change in circumstances.
- you need to pay rent in advance for new accommodation (if you need help to pay your rent in advance, you might be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment (opens new window)).
- for an expense outside the UK
- to pay outstanding debts
- you require expenses to help with a holiday
- you require help with housing costs
You can only get 3 Crisis Grants within a 12 month period, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
To apply please use the Scottish Welfare Fund online form (opens new window).
If you require assistance in completing your application, you can call us on 01506 280000. The opening hours are 08:30 - 17:00 Monday to Thursday, 08:30 - 16:00 on a Friday.
We may ask you to provide evidence to support your Scottish Welfare Fund application. The quickest and easiest way to provide evidence is to upload this online using our evidence upload form.
Applicants can discuss alternative ways of providing evidence with a Scottish Welfare Fund Officer during the application process.
We aim to let you know the outcome of your application within 2 working days, but this may take longer if demand is high.
Note: A working day is defined as between 9.00am and 4.45pm. If an application is received after 4.45pm, it should be treated as being received on the next working day. A working day does not include weekend and bank/public holidays.
Any award agreed would be calculated only from the date of your application until your next wage/benefit payment.
Crisis Grants are paid in cash through 111 Paypoint outlets in West Lothian. Most Paypoint outlets are open 7 days a week from 6 am until 10 pm. Paypoint vouchers can also be collected at Arrochar House in Livingston, Jim Walker Partnership Centre in Bathgate, Whitburn Partnership Centre & Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn.
To find your nearest Paypoint outlet, please visit the Paypoint website (opens new window)
If you are unhappy with the outcome of our decision, further information can be found on the Scottish Welfare Fund Review process page.
There may be other sources of help available to you.
You might be able to get help from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP pays Short Term Benefit Advances, Hardship Payments and Budgeting Loans. You can get more details on the DWP website (opens new window)
Scottish Government award a number of grants/benefits and one-off payments to parents of young children. These include: Best Start Pregnancy and Baby payments; Early Learning Payment and School Age Payments and a prepaid card that can be used to buy food for children under 3. Scottish Government will award a Scottish Child Payment of £25 per child, per week to parents of children aged 6 to 15. To find out more about Scottish Government awards and to apply for any of these payments please visit Social Security Scotland - Benefits (opens new window)
If you don't think that you would get help or benefits from the DWP but still need help, the West Lothian Citizen's Advice Bureau (opens new window) may be able to offer you advice.
You can also contact the council's Advice Shop who will provide information on welfare rights, money advice, energy advice and housing advice.
Please email ScottishWelfareFund@westlothian.gov.uk
Community Care Grant
Community Care Grants can support independent living, preventing the need for institutional care. Applicants who qualify for a Community Care Grant will be provided with household items, cash is only given in exceptional circumstances if a household item cannot be sourced from the council's furniture and white goods supplier.
Grants are available to anyone aged 16 or over, and to apply applicants should normally have a low income, or have no access to their money. To be considered to be low income you should be in receipt of an income-related benefit such as Income Support, Pension Credit, Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance, or Universal Credit, or your income is about the same as someone who would receive one of these benefits. You may find our Benefit Calculator useful.
The key test of eligibility for a Community Care Grant is whether or not the grant will help you maintain or establish a settled way of life in the community. Grants may not be awarded if the applicant (or their partner) has savings of over £700 if they are below pension age, or £1200 if above pension age.
You may be able to get a Community Care Grant if:
- you're leaving care or imprisonment and need help to start a settled home
- you've been homeless, or living an unsettled life, and need help to start a settled home
- you need support to stay out of care
- you're caring for someone who's been released from prison or a young offender's institution
- you're experiencing exceptional pressure (other than financial) and need help to keep a settled home
- you're escaping domestic abuse
- a child's health is at risk
We need to process all of the applications we receive to see whether or not they meet the qualifying conditions. Please only apply if you believe your current circumstances meet these so that we can process applications quicker and help those who really need it.
You may not be able to get a Community Care Grant if;
- your application is purely based on financial pressure.
- if you or your partner has savings over £700 if they are below pension age, or savings over £1,200 if above pension age.
- your application does not fit any of the criteria listed in the above 'Who can apply?' section.
- you cannot provide evidence that you currently reside, or will soon reside in West Lothian.
- you have no recourse to public funds.
- you have applied for asylum to stay in the UK and are still waiting on a decision (do not yet have leave to remain).
To apply please use the Scottish Welfare Fund online form (opens new window).
If you require assistance in completing your application, you can call us on 01506 280000. The opening hours are 08:30 - 17:00 Monday to Thursday, 08:30 - 16:00 on a Friday.
We may ask you to provide evidence to support your Scottish Welfare Fund application. The quickest and easiest way to provide evidence is to upload this online using our evidence upload form.
Applicants can discuss alternative ways of providing evidence with a Scottish Welfare Fund Officer during the application process.
We aim to let you know the outcome of your application within 15 working days, but this may take longer if demand is high.
Note: A working day is defined as between 9.00am and 4.45pm. If an application is received after 4.45pm, it should be treated as being received on the next working day. A working day does not include weekend and bank/public holidays.
The majority of household items are supplied through the council's furniture and white goods supplier. Any item that is not available through our supplier, a cash equivilant payment will be considered. Cash equivilants are paid either via a bacs payment or through 111 Paypoint outlets in West Lothian. Most Paypoint outlets are open 7 days a week from 6 am until 10 pm. Paypoint vouchers can also be collected at Arrochar House in Livingston, Jim Walker Partnership Centre in Bathgate, Whitburn Partnership Centre & Strathbrock Partnership Centre in Broxburn.
To find your nearest Paypoint outlet, please visit the Paypoint website (opens new window)
If you are unhappy with the outcome of our decision, further information can be found on the Scottish Welfare Fund Review process page.
There may be other sources of help available to you.
You might be able to get help from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP pays Short Term Benefit Advances, Hardship Payments and Budgeting Loans. You can get more details on the DWP website (opens new window)
Scottish Government award a number of grants/benefits and one-off payments to parents of young children. These include: Best Start Pregnancy and Baby payments; Early Learning Payment and School Age Payments and a prepaid card that can be used to buy food for children under 3. Scottish Government will award a Scottish Child Payment of £25 per child, per week to parents of children aged 6 to 15. To find out more about Scottish Government awards and to apply for any of these payments please visit Social Security Scotland - Benefits (opens new window)
If you don't think that you would get help or benefits from the DWP but still need help, the West Lothian Citizen's Advice Bureau (opens new window) may be able to offer you advice.
You can also contact the council's Advice Shop who will provide information on welfare rights, money advice, energy advice and housing advice.
Please email ScottishWelfareFund@westlothian.gov.uk
Data Protection law gives you a number of rights including the right to make a complaint about the handling of your personal information. Complaints should be submitted to the Information Commissioner's Office or the Council's Data Protection Officer. Further details can be found on the Data Protection Section of our website.
