Crisis Grant - how to apply

You can only apply for a Crisis Grant through your local council. You cannot apply through the Scottish Government.

Check how to apply on your local council website

If you need help applying

If you cannot apply online or need help with your application, contact your local council.

They may offer other ways to apply such as by:

paper application form
email
phone

You also need to contact your council for any queries. For example, questions about payments or to check your application progress.

What you can get a Crisis Grant for

You can get a Crisis Grant to cover the costs of an emergency.

Examples of this could include if:

you need help to get food or with heating costs
there's a fire or flood at home
an unexpected crisis happens
you're a victim of domestic abuse and you need help with things like moving away from an abuser
you're a grandparent or other relative who has taken over caring for a child, and you're waiting on a transfer of benefits
you're facing a gap in your normal income because of a redundancy or change at work

How long it takes

Most councils will tell you the outcome of your application within 2 working days.

But some councils are taking longer than this due to an increase in applications.

Your local council may let you know how long you’ll wait once you apply.

Who can apply

To get a Crisis Grant you need to be on a low income. This does not mean you need to be on benefits.

What counts as a low income

There's no figure that confirms whether you've a low income. As a guide, if you're on one of the benefits below, or your income is about the same as someone who is, it's more likely you can get a Crisis Grant:

Income Support
Pension Credit
Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) - Income based
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - Income based
Universal Credit

How often you can apply

You can only get 3 Crisis Grants within a 12 month period, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Crisis Grants are one-off payments and cannot support your income long term. Check what help you can get with money problems.