MORE than £1.5m was given out in welfare fund grants in Glasgow in just three months last year, new figures reveal.

Almost 8000 applications were made to the Welfare Fund in the city between July and September last year for help with unforeseen or unaffordable costs including emergency situations of settling into a new home.

Glasgow accepted more than 5000 of the bids for help giving out 2290 community care grants and 2790 crisis grants.

The total spend on community care grants in Glasgow between July and September last year was £1,273,940 with another £293,171 on crisis grants.

The Scottish Government set up the fund to replace the previous system of crisis loans which people paid back, mostly through reductions in their benefit.

Glasgow spent the highest amount in Scotland in the three month period, the only council to top the million pound mark.

The average amount for a crisis grant in the city was £105, second only to Shetland who paid £116, but who only awarded 25 grants.

The main reason for applying for a community care grant in Glasgow was ‘helping people to stay in the community’ and ‘families facing exceptional pressure’.

For crisis grants the most common reason was overwhelmingly ‘emergency’.

Across Scotland more than 36,000 households received payments from the two funds.

Community care grants provided £6.15m cash to help with for floor coverings, cookers, washing machines and fridges, and furniture.

Another £1.89m was spend on crisis Grants to help with food and energy bills.

Margaret Burgess, Welfare Minister, said since 2013 the Scottish Government has spent more than £81m on the funds

She said: “From food and beds, to energy bills and furniture, the fund is reaching out to people who may be struggling to afford items that many of us take for granted.

“So we can make sure the Scottish Welfare Fund continues to act as a lifeline to people in need, we will be re-allocating funding in the future based on deprivation levels in local authorities and will continue to work with councils and other stakeholders to publicise the grants.”

She added people affected by recent flooding need to be made aware of the help that is available.

The Scottish Government said it has also agreed a new distributing model with COSLA which will see money allocated to local authorities based on their levels of deprivation.