Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics: update to 30 June 2025

From April to June 2025, 80,610 applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund were received (Table 1). The majority were for Crisis Grants (61,540, Table 3), and a smaller number were for Community Care Grants (19,070, Table 2).

There were 1,975 fewer Community Care Grant applications (-9%) than in the same quarter in 2024 (Table 2, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from 106% increase in Na-h Eileanan Siar (from 20 to 35 applications) to a 51% decrease in North Lanarkshire (from 1,670 to 815 applications). Application numbers increased in 13 local authorities and decreased in 19 local authorities.

Compared to the same quarter in 2024, there were 2,265 fewer Crisis Grant applications (-4%) (Table 3, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from a 51% increase in East Renfrewshire (from 315 to 475) to a 23% decrease in Orkney (from 45 to 35 applications). Crisis Grant applications increased in 15 local authorities, decreased in 14 local authorities and stayed the same in one local authority.

Chart 1: Applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund – Scotland – Monthly
This chart shows time series of the numbers of applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund per quarter since April 2021, separated into the two schemes.


The most common reason for Community Care Grant applications is ‘Helping people to stay in the community’ (40% of applications); this has recently taken over from ‘Families facing exceptional pressure’ as the most common reason, although that as due to the reclassification of some applications rather than a clear change in underlying problems. (Table 4, Chart 2).

Chart 2: Reasons for Application – Community Care Grants - Quarterly
This chart shows time series of the proportions of different reasons for applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund per quarter since April 2021.


During April to June 2025, the most common reasons for Crisis Grant applications were different types of emergencies (54,725, 89% of applications), followed by ‘Other’ reasons (6,330, 10% of applications) (Table 6, Chart 3). The ‘Other’ category increased greatly at the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and has persisted at a higher level since, at least partly due to unresolved changes in application processes, although work is underway to address this.

Within the ‘Emergency’ category, the most common reason was ‘benefit/income spent’ (29,455, 48% of applications).

Chart 3: Reasons for Application – Crisis Grants – Quarterly
This chart shows time series of the proportions of different reasons for applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund per quarter since April 2021.