Scottish Welfare Fund

Councils administer the Welfare Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Please phone 01786 233210 and we will call you back within 4 hours to take your application. You can also apply online or complete a paper application Scottish Welfare Fund application, however, this may delay your application.

You can get detailed information about the Scottish Welfare Fund from the Scottish Government website.

You must apply to the council where you live or intend to live (if you are leaving prison, hospital or residential care). The Scottish Government website has a list of contact details for each individual council.

The DWP is responsible for administering Short-term advances of benefit.  An advance can be paid when you have made, or are about to make, a new claim for benefit and you have a financial need before getting your first payment.

They can also be paid when there is a delay in your benefit payment or if you have had a change of circumstances increasing your benefit entitlement but payment at the increased rate is not due to be paid straight away.

You can apply to the DWP for a Short Term Advance of benefit by calling 0345 608 8545. 

• provide a safety net in an emergency when there is an immediate threat to health and safety through Crisis Grants
  
  
• enable independent living or continued independent living, preventing the need for institutional care through Community Care Grants

Grants are available to anyone aged 16 and over and applicants will normally have a low income, for example, or be in receipt of a benefit such as Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance or Pension Credit.

However, applicants do not have to be in receipt of a benefit to receive a grant. Anyone who has a low income, or does not have access to their money, can apply.

The amount of funding each council gets to spend each year on the Scottish Welfare Fund is limited and, unfortunately, there is not enough money to assist everyone who applies. Your application will, therefore, be given a high, medium or low priority rating according to your individual circumstances and needs.

Grants will only be considered if you have no alternative means of paying for what you need and will be awarded according to your priority rating. Normally, only high priority cases will receive support but this can vary on a month to month basis depending on the money available in the Scottish Welfare Fund budget.

High priority groups include:

• people who are vulnerable including older people and people with disabilities
• people who have an immediate and severe need
• people who will face significant adverse consequences if the item or payment is not provided.

The effect of a grant also has to have an immediate and substantial effect on the applicant's circumstances.

Grants will be awarded according to your priority rating and whether you have no alternative means of paying for what you need.

The budget priority ratings for Stirling Council are decided at the start of each month and can vary on a month to month basis depending on the money available.    

• You have made a claim for a DWP benefit and the payment is delayed - you must apply for a Short -Term Benefit Advance instead.
  
  
• You have already received three Crisis Grants. The number of awards that you can receive from all Scottish councils in any twelve-month rolling period will normally be limited to three. Any further awards within this period will be at the discretion of the Council and will only be given in exceptional circumstances.

• You have already applied for the same item within the last 28 days.
  
  
• If you do make a repeat application within 28 days then you will only be considered for an award if you have had a "relevant change of circumstances".

• Taking on caring responsibilities
• Deterioration in your health or the health of someone in your family
• A change to your household composition
• Becoming entitled to a qualifying benefit
• Fleeing domestic violence

There is a list of items which are excluded from the Scottish Welfare Fund giving details of alternative support that may be available to you.

There may also be other sources of support that you could get.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your application, you cannot appeal but you can ask for the decision to be looked at again. This is called a First Tier Review. You need to apply in writing for a review within 20 days of the decision. This time limit can be extended if it is accepted that you have good reasons for not applying on time.

(For applications made up to and including 31st March 2016) If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the First Tier Review, you can ask for a Second Tier Review.  Second Tier Reviews are carried out by a panel of individuals who are not involved with the decision-making team. The panel will ensure that correct, reasonable and fair decisions are being made and the guidance for the fund is being followed.  The maximum time for dealing with Second Tier Reviews is 5 working days for Crisis Grants and 30 working days for Community Care Grants.

If you are unhappy with our decision, you have the right to ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) for an independent review.  The SPSO is not part of the council.
You should ask the SPSO for an independent review within one month of receiving our decision. In some circumstances, you may be able to ask for a review after this.  You should contact the SPSO for advice.

You can ask the SPSO for an independent review over the phone or in writing. If you prefer, they will send you a form in the post, or you can print it off their website or fill it in online.   

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your application, you cannot appeal but you can ask for the decision to be looked at again. This is called a First Tier Review. You need to apply in writing for a review within 20 days of the decision. This time limit can be extended if it is accepted that you have good reasons for not applying on time.

• See: Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) Website

The SPSO can give you the information in other languages or formats (such as large print, SMS, audio or Braille). In some cases, the SPSO may be able to meet you in person.