SNP MSP WELCOMES THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT 8,605 SCOTTISH WELFARE PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN

8,605 SCOTTISH WELFARE PAYMENTS MADE IN MIDLOTHIAN AND EAST LOTHIAN
 
SNP GOVERNMENT SUPPORTING SCOTLAND THROUGH COST OF LIVING CRISIS
 
Colin Beattie, SNP MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, has welcomed new figures which show that 8,605 Welfare Fund Payments have been made to support residents of Midlothian and East Lothian between July 2022 and June 2023.
 
The Scottish Welfare Fund, consisting of Community Care Grants and Crisis Grants, is a national scheme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by local authorities which provides support to those most in need. 
 
Latest figures have shown that in Midlothian and East Lothian, 1,170 Community Care Grants have been awarded in addition to 6,835 Crisis Grants.
 
Since the SNP introduced the Scottish Welfare Fund in 2013, £410 million has been awarded to support 519,890 individual households.
 
SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“The Scottish Welfare Fund is a vital resource that is supporting the most vulnerable individuals across Midlothian North and Musselburgh.
 
“The fact this support remains so vital to Midlothian North and Musselburgh is a damning inditement of the harm caused by over a decade of Westminster austerity.
 
“As Labour fail to commit to reversing Tory austerity policies – the SNP Government continues to deliver the support required to tackle poverty and mitigate Westminster’s cruel welfare regime.
 
“"Scotland's best future however is with independence. Independent countries like Scotland are wealthier and fairer than the UK - so the question is, why not Scotland?”
 
ENDS
 
NOTES
 
The Scottish Welfare Fund helps families and people in Scotland who are on low incomes through Community Care Grants, which support people to start to live, or to carry on living, a settled life in the community and Crisis Grants, for disasters (like a fire or flood), or emergencies (like an unexpected expense).