1,590 of West Lothian Households Helped in time of Crisis
Hyslop Highlights Need for Full Powers at Holyrood to Tackle Poverty
Local Linlithgow Constituency MSP Fiona Hyslop has highlighted the work of the Scottish Welfare Fund which made 1,590 payments to local people in West Lothian from April – June 2019, compared to 1,230 payments at the same time last year.
These payments, made up of 350 Community Care Grants and 1,240 Crisis Grants are to help people with essentials such as food, heating costs, and household items.
Fiona commented,
“The Scottish Welfare Fund is a vital lifeline for many people facing poverty or personal crisis but the fact that so many households across West Lothian are in need of emergency financial help is unacceptable.
“There are families and individuals living with the effects of the UK Government’s austerity measures and welfare cuts every single day.
“While the Scottish Welfare Fund is an important example of the kind of action the Scottish Government has taken using the powers it currently has to try and mitigate these cuts, we could do so much more to tackle poverty head on with the appropriate resources.
“As long as welfare decisions remain at Westminster, those in our society who are the least well off will remain at the mercy of the Tories’ austerity agenda. Until those decisions are devolved, the SNP will continue to do everything in our power to tackle poverty and support low income families.”
ENDS
Notes:
The SNP introduced the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2013 as part of a £125 million annual package to mitigate the impact of UK government austerity.
Since its launch in April 2013, the Fund has paid out more than £200 million to support over 336,000 households across Scotland, with a third of recipients being families with children.
| Table 13: Number of Community Care Grants Awarded by Local Authority – Quarterly | Table 16: Number of Crisis Grant Awarded by Local Authority – Quarterly | ||||
| Local Authority | Apr to Jun 2018 | Apr to Jun 2019 | Local Authority | Apr to Jun 2018 | Apr to June 2019 |
| Scotland | 9,795 | 11,035 | Scotland | 29,670 | 32,995 |
| Aberdeen City | 350 | 445 | Aberdeen City | 1,690 | 1,890 |
| Aberdeenshire | 135 | 195 | Aberdeenshire | 735 | 820 |
| Angus | 110 | 150 | Angus | 425 | 535 |
| Argyll & Bute | 125 | 95 | Argyll & Bute | 245 | 170 |
| Clackmannanshire | 75 | 110 | Clackmannanshire | 295 | 355 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 295 | 370 | Dumfries & Galloway | 830 | 1,045 |
| Dundee City | 520 | 440 | Dundee City | 840 | 945 |
| East Ayrshire | 345 | 320 | East Ayrshire | 860 | 800 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 80 | 70 | East Dunbartonshire | 335 | 305 |
| East Lothian | 200 | 210 | East Lothian | 440 | 540 |
| East Renfrewshire | 75 | 115 | East Renfrewshire | 130 | 85 |
| Edinburgh | 695 | 760 | Edinburgh | 2,005 | 2,275 |
| Eilean Siar | 20 | 15 | Eilean Siar | 45 | 30 |
| Falkirk | 245 | 190 | Falkirk | 590 | 515 |
| Fife | 515 | 490 | Fife | 3,350 | 4,190 |
| Glasgow City | 1,720 | 2,580 | Glasgow City | 4,755 | 5,475 |
| Highland | 325 | 320 | Highland | 680 | 500 |
| Inverclyde | 225 | 250 | Inverclyde | 725 | 590 |
| Midlothian | 115 | 130 | Midlothian | 555 | 680 |
| Moray | 85 | 90 | Moray | 280 | 310 |
| North Ayrshire | 395 | 300 | North Ayrshire | 1,140 | 1,020 |
| North Lanarkshire | 870 | 635 | North Lanarkshire | 2,425 | 3,040 |
| Orkney | 5 | 15 | Orkney | 20 | 15 |
| Perth & Kinross | 155 | 175 | Perth & Kinross | 525 | 590 |
| Renfrewshire | 300 | 360 | Renfrewshire | 1,835 | 1,905 |
| Scottish Borders | 75 | 110 | Scottish Borders | 200 | 215 |
| Shetland | 15 | 15 | Shetland | 30 | 40 |
| South Ayrshire | 160 | 170 | South Ayrshire | 435 | 485 |
| South Lanarkshire | 780 | 1,040 | South Lanarkshire | 670 | 875 |
| Stirling | 150 | 175 | Stirling | 540 | 470 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 340 | 350 | West Dunbartonshire | 1,125 | 1,050 |
| West Lothian | 295 | 350 | West Lothian | 935 | 1,240 |