SCOTLAND’S largest council has experienced an “overwhelming” surge in vulnerable residents seeking emergency cash.

Glasgow City Council said the number of people applying for money through the Scottish Welfare Fund has almost doubled since 2013-14.

The volume of crisis grants – which provide help for people who need money quickly because of an emergency or disaster – has boomed by 130 per cent.

It comes after it emerged Scottish ministers have cut almost £2 million in real terms from the welfare fund, with Glasgow experiencing a funding drop of around one-quarter.

Scottish Labour’s social security spokesman, Mark Griffin, condemned as unacceptable “SNP cuts to the welfare fund at a time of soaring demand”.

He said: “The Scottish Welfare Fund does important work, but rather than getting the support it needs it has actually had its funding cut by almost £2m in real terms, with a 25% cut in Glasgow.

“We need a social security system that properly protects Scotland’s most vulnerable people.”

The welfare fund is designed to provide a safety net for those on low incomes through mechanisms such as crisis grants.

Glasgow City Council said it had made funding awards to 58,000 vulnerable citizens between 2013 and March 2016.

It added: “However, since the reduction in Glasgow’s funding allocation of £900,000 over the period April 2016 to March 2018, the council has contributed £250,000 of its own funds to meet demand.”

It said it had also committed to maintaining the welfare fund’s budget this year in the face of another funding cut of £700,000 from central government.

Council analysis revealed the “overwhelming increase in demand” was due to benefits changes and sanctions being rolled out by the UK Government, as well as coping with asylum seekers and refugees.

And it warned the full impact of the introduction of Universal Credit – which bundles six benefits into a single monthly payment – was yet to be felt.

A Scottish Government spokesman said it had maintained funding despite Westminster cuts.

He said: “Despite continued, unnecessary, cuts to our budget from Westminster, we have maintained the level of funding for the Scottish Welfare Fund, helping more than 285,000 households in the last five years with almost £156m.

“Under UK Government welfare cuts, money is being taken from the pockets of low income families, pushing them into crisis, debt and poverty.

“We will spend more than £127m this year to try and mitigate that, and provide vital support for low-income households.”