Question reference: S5W-27977
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 16 March 2020
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 27 March 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the current pandemic, whether it will waive the rule that the Scottish Welfare Fund can only make three crisis grant payments to an individual in any year.
Answer
The regulations governing the Scottish Welfare Fund allow a local authority to make more than 3 payments to an individual in a 12 month period if it considers there are exceptional circumstances. We have written to practitioners in each local authority confirming the provision of an additional £45 million for the Scottish Welfare Fund and noting that we consider the current circumstances to be exceptional.