EAST LOTHIAN HOUSEHOLDS HELPED BY SCOTTISH WELFARE FUND

SNP MSP Colin Beattie has welcomed new figures showing 1,851 households in East Lothian have been helped by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Welfare Fund.

Today’s figures show that in 2014/15 more than £394,500 from the fund was spent in East Lothian.

Grants from the fund are used to help vulnerable people pay for essentials like food and energy costs – and more than a third of the grants were made to vulnerable households such as lone parents, people with disabilities or people with mental health problems.

Commenting, Colin Beattie said:

“Vulnerable people in communities across our area are struggling to make ends meet in the face of a relentless assault on the poor waged by this Tory government – and these grants from the Scottish Welfare Fund are a real lifeline for so many people and families across East Lothian.

“The fund helps people who are struggling to buy essential items like food and clothing and to help pay for energy bills – and while it is worrying that so many people in East Lothian are struggling to make ends meet, it’s absolutely right that the Scottish Government does everything it can to help, with 3,410 people in East Lothian benefitting.

“Of course, Scotland should not be in the position of having to mitigate the social security cuts of a Tory government which people here completely reject – but until full social and economic powers are in Scotland’s hands, the SNP will do everything we can with the powers we have now to protect and support vulnerable people suffering from Westminster austerity.”