Applications for community care grants from 75 people in Moray saw £78,914 being awarded while there were 365 crisis grants totalling £22,539 made in the region.
The recipients were amongst thousands of vulnerable people in Scotland who were given cash to buy essential items including food, nappies and clothing as well as to assist in paying their heating bills.
Figures were released this week on the use of the £33million Scottish Welfare Fund, with welfare minister Margaret Burgess saying the high level of payments made was due to the impact of Westminster welfare reforms.
The fund was created in April 2013 and provides a crisis grant ‘safety net’ for low income households experiencing a disaster or emergency, and community care grants that help people to live independently.
Crisis grants paid averaged £70 per award with the greatest need being to cover heating costs, while community care grants averaged £640 per award and were applied for to replacing such as carpets, cookers and washing machines.
Nationally over 100,000 vulnerable households including 32,000 with children have been awarded grants which are administered by local authorities.
Earlier this year the charity Barnardo’s expressed concerns over an initial budget underspend on the grants awarded during the first year of the scheme. However, local government body Cosla said that while spending had been lower during the first six months it had since risen