Office closure

Our office will be closed for the September weekend on Monday 15 September 2025.

We will close at 4pm on Friday 12 September, and normal service will resume at 10am on Tuesday 16 September.

You can still submit a request for an independent review during this time. However, any reviews received after 3pm on Friday 12 September will be processed when we reopen.

Your feedback is important to us!

We are looking to gather feedback on our new Scottish Welfare Fund decision letter via this survey: https://forms.office.com/e/8AY7szX5Qp

Statistics 2021-22

With the introduction of Self-Isolation Support Grants in October 2020, 2021-22 marks the first full year of our expanded remit. While applications for Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants have remained fairly static, applications for Self-Isolation Support Grants have been rising and account for the significant differences in numbers from last year.

In 2021-22 we received:

1,494* review applications – a 37% increase on the 1,093 in the previous year.
- 213 community care grants
- 740 crisis grants
- 540 self-isolation support grants

We handled:

1,391* review applications – a 27% increase on the 1,099 in the previous year
- 209 community care grants
- 724 crisis grants
- 457 self-isolation support grants

Other key figures

3,837 – the total number of people to contact us. This is an increase of 60% from the previous year.
2,311 – the number of people we signposted to other forms of assistance. 96% were signposted to their local council.
1,094 – the number of review requests that progressed to a decision being made:
- 52% - the uphold rate for community care grants. Down from 53% in the previous year.
- 18% - the uphold rate for crisis grants. Down from 25% in the previous year.
- 42% - the uphold rate for self-isolation support grants. Up from 29% in the previous year.
93% - the percentage of community care grants determined within 21 working days.
95% - the percentage of crisis grants determined within one working day.
90% - the percentage of self-isolation support grants determined within one working day.

Detailed information about the enquiries and reviews we handled over the course of the year is provided below:

*One applicant, who reached us too early in the process, did not specify the grant they wished to apply for. They were referred back to the council to make their application.