Crisis and Community Care Grants - Scottish Welfare Fund

Scottish Welfare Fund

The Scottish Welfare Fund was introduced on 1^st April 2013 as part of changes to the UK Government’s Social Fund scheme. As a result of these changes, crisis loans and community care grants which were formerly managed by the Department of Work and Pensions have now stopped. The new replacement fund consists of crisis grants and community care grants and will be delivered locally by Dundee City Council based on guidance from the Scottish Government.

Crisis Grants can provide you with a safety net in the event of a disaster or emergency. A decision on a Crisis Grant application will be made after Scottish Welfare Fund has received all information allowing a decision to be made, and in any event, no later than the end of the next working day.

Community Care Grants can help you to leave care and live on your own, or to continue living in your own home. They can also help you maintain a settled home in the community in a situation where you, or another individual in the same household, is facing exceptional pressure. Decisions on Community Care Grants must be made within 15 working days after the local authority has received all the information allowing a decision to be made.

Note: A working day is defined as between 9.00am and 4.45pm. If an application is received after 4.45pm, it should be treated as being received on the next working day. A working day does not include weekend and bank/public holidays.

More details of Dundee City Council’s Scottish Welfare Fund scheme can be found in the leaflet Introducing the Scottish Welfare Fund. The Council use approved suppliers to fulfil successful applications. This means that our local suppliers will supply and fit any white goods awarded as well as delivering any sofas, beds, bedding or furniture awarded. In terms of carpets, vinyl and other floor coverings we currently work with four local suppliers who fulfil any successful applications, including supplying and fitting floorcoverings

View the Scottish Government's Guide to the Scottish Welfare Fund for more details on the scheme.

How to apply

If you would like to apply for a crisis grant or a community care grant online please follow the online process.

You will need to allow pop ups to complete the application.

Apply for a Crisis/Community Care Grant

You can also request a telephone application by phoning 01382 431188 (option 1). Telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm

Will I get a grant if I meet the qualifying conditions?

The amount of funding each council gets to spend each year on the Scottish Welfare Fund is limited and, unfortunately, there is not enough money to help everyone who applies. Your application will therefore be given a high, medium or low "priority rating" according to your individual circumstances and needs.

April 2026 Update: Dundee City Council are currently operating on the high priority level for Crisis Grants and the high priority level for Community Care Grants for those applying to the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Grants will be awarded according to your priority rating and whether you have no alternative means of paying for what you need.

The budget priority ratings for Dundee City Council are decided at the start of each month and can vary on a month to month basis depending on the money available.

How long will it take to get a decision?

Whether you are applying for a Crisis Grant or a Community Care Grant, you will normally be asked to provide evidence to support your application. This helps to make sure that the right decision is made. Evidence that may be required includes:

Screenshots from UC Journal
Tenancy agreement
Bank, building society, Post Office or credit union statement
Wage slips
Lost property or crime reference number (contact Police Scotland by dialling 101)
Receipts

Once we have all the evidence to support your application, the target time for Crisis Grants is as soon as possible but within 1 working day. Applications received after 16.45 on any working day is treated as received the next working day. Please note that Public Holidays and weekends are not working days. If required evidence is not received then a decision will be made by the end of the next working day.

We also aim to process Community Care Grants within 15 working days from receipt of all required evidence. Again please note that working days do not include weekends or public holidays.

Community Care Grant and Crisis Grant Reviews

If you disagree with a Community Care Grant or Crisis Grant decision you can ask for a review. There are 2 stages to the review process, a 1st tier review must be put in writing to:-

Dundee City Council
Scottish Welfare Fund
Dundee House, 50 North Lindsay Street
Dundee DD1 1QE

The DWP will still deal with the following payments:

cold weather payments
winter fuel payments
budgeting loans (these will be known as budgeting advances under universal credit)
short-term advances of benefit

Housing costs for 18 to 21 year olds

From 8 November 2017 full digital service Universal Credit was launched in the Dundee area. Under this some 18 to 21 year olds are not eligible for housing costs.

The Scottish Government has agreed, as an interim measure, to help 18 to 21 year olds affected by these changes by allowing Community Care Grants to be used to pay their housing costs.

To be eligible you must be:

18 to 21 years old
claiming Universal Credit as a single person
subject to all work-related requirements
not covered by a DWP exemption

You must be setting up or maintaining an established home in the community and there must be some risk that without help you will be unable to do this. You must have no means of paying your rent and be at risk of homelessness without an award.

If you receive an award for your housing costs these will be paid directly to your landlord.