Renfrewshire Council will pump an extra £350,000 into making sure residents facing hardship can continue to receive help from two government support funds.
The move will see £250,000 allocated to the Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) fund, which helps those struggling to meet their housing costs.
It will also see the Scottish Welfare Fund – a vital source of support to people facing hardship – topped up by £100,000.
Without the top ups, both funds will run out before the new government allocations arrive in April.
Councillor Mike Holmes, Depute Leader and the Council’s Welfare Reform Spokesman, said: “Both of these funds are absolutely crucial in making sure our residents who are in poverty, who face short term crisis, and who are pushed to the brink by welfare changes, have sources of support available to them.
“Already during this financial year, we’ve targeted £2.2m into mitigating the impacts of welfare reform. We now have to build on this, by stepping in with additional investment of £350,000 to bridge a gap between the funding provided by both governments and the need in Renfrewshire, so that families facing hardship do not lose two crucial safety nets.”
People who are facing crisis or hardship and would like to apply to the Scottish Welfare Fund; or who receive Housing Benefit, are struggling to meet their housing costs and would like to apply to the DHP fund, should call 0300 300 0204.
The Finance and Resources Policy Board approved a top up of the Scottish Welfare Fund of £100,000 and a top up of the Discretionary Housing Payments Fund of £250,000, at its meeting on 21 January 2015.