A total of 8,725 welfare fund payments were made to support people in Renfrewshire between July 2022 and June 2023, new figures reveal.
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 Renfrewshire, 1,560 Community Care Grants have been awarded in addition to 7,165 Crisis Grants.
Since the Scottish Welfare Fund was introduced in 2013, £410million has been awarded to support 519,890 individual households.
Renfrewshire North and West MSP Natalie Don, of the SNP, welcomed the latest figures.
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She told The Gazette: "The Scottish Welfare Fund is a vital resource that is supporting the most vulnerable individuals across Renfrewshire.
"The fact this support remains so vital to Renfrewshire 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?"
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