Well-resourced welfare fund essential say Scottish Greens
Scottish Greens today called on the Scottish Government to ensure that emergency welfare support is adequately funded, as new data showed increased demand for support.
Applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund increased by 37% in May, compared to May 2019.
Commenting, Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Alison Johnstone MSP said:
"Today’s figures confirm what we already suspected, that there is massive pressure on safety net schemes like the Scottish Welfare Fund.
“With more people than ever before applying for emergency help due to huge and unforeseen pressures on their household income as a result of Covid19, we need to ensure that the Scottish Welfare Fund is well-resourced and flexible so that it can assist everyone who needs help.
“In the coming months, the Scottish Government must work closely with councils to assess the pressures on local welfare funds, provide additional funding where necessary, ensure that support is easily accessible by those eligible and claims are processed and paid-out as quickly as possible.”