More than 80,000 households have benefited from the Scottish Welfare Fund during its first year of operation, it has been claimed.

According to Scotland's Chief Statistician, between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014, £29m was allocated to those households in need or in an emergency. It also helped people to set up a home or stay within the community, rather than be in care.

It is understood that of the 80,000 households helped, more than 44,000 were single people, while almost 26,000 were families with children.

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The Scottish Welfare Fund comprises of Community Care Grants, which help people to live independently, and Crisis Grants, which provide a safety net in a disaster or emergency.

Over the last year, 33,000 households received a total of 36,000 awards for Community Care Grants, averaging around £640 per award. These awards were for white goods, furnishings and floor coverings.

Around 56,000 households – including 9,000 households who had also received Community Care Grants – received a total of 82,000 Crisis Grant awards, averaging around £70 per award. A majority of this expenditure was on food, essential heating costs and other living expenses.

(JP/IT)