Scottish Welfare Fund Statistics: update to 31 December 2025

From October to December 2025, 79,735 applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund were received (Table 1). The majority were for Crisis Grants (60,755, Table 3), and a smaller number were for Community Care Grants (18,975, Table 2).

There were 110 more Community Care Grant applications (1%) than in the same quarter in 2024 (Table 2, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from 45% increase in Moray (from 145 to 210 applications) to a 38% decrease in Na-h Eileanan Siar (from 30 to 20 applications). Application numbers increased in 14 local authorities and decreased in 18 local authorities.

Compared to the same quarter in 2024, there were 4,670 more Crisis Grant applications (8%) (Table 3, Chart 1). At local authority level the percentage change in applications varied from a 47% increase in Shetland (from 30 to 45) to a 3% decrease in Dundee (from 980 to 945 applications). Crisis Grant applications increased in 30 local authorities and decreased in 2 local authorities.
 

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’ (39% of applications); this has recently taken over from ‘Families facing exceptional pressure’ as the most common reason, although that is due to the reclassification of some applications rather than a clear change in underlying reasons (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 October to December 2025, the most common reasons for Crisis Grant applications were different types of emergencies (53,465, 88% of applications), followed by ‘Other’ reasons (6,760, 11% 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, although recent changes have improved accuracy of information recorded here.

Within the ‘Emergency’ category, the most common reason was ‘benefit/income spent’ (27,245, 45% 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.