Hundreds sought emergency support

NEARLY 500 people desperately sought crisis grants in the Stewartry within nine months, it has been revealed. More than £100,000 of financial support was paid out by the Scottish Welfare Fund, as high numbers of residents struggled to pay rising energy costs and put food on the table. This fund provides emergency crisis grants and community care grants, with 7934 applications from Dumfries and Galloway between April last year and January 2026. In the Stewartry there were 471 crisis grant applications, with 331 cases being awarded a payment.

In addition, 81 community care grant applications were also made.