Thousands of Dumfries and Galloway’s most vulnerable residents are set to receive an unexpected payment of £350 this year.
The local authority has received nearly £2.2m in Covid recovery funding from the Scottish Government for 2022/23, and has drafted up proposals for spending the cash to support the community.
Officials are recommending that just over £1.5m is spent on giving a £350 cash payment to 4,300 residents identified as the region’s most vulnerable people.
This includes around 3,600 people who have previously received a crisis grant or community care grant , roughly 200 people who have experienced homelessness, and 500 of the region’s most vulnerable older people who access the CareCall service.
Mark Molloy, the council’s service manager, said: “By targeting these groups we can ensure that it’s those who are most in need who are receiving this support.”
In a report for next week’s finance committee, he wrote: “This also aligns with the policy intent of the fund and the national research that direct cash payments is the best way of supporting those experiencing poverty and mitigating the worst impacts of poverty and inequality.”
This is a continuation of the holiday food direct payments scheme, which supports primary and secondary youngsters who are entitled to free school meals during the holidays. The council received Holyrood funding of £543,000 for the programme, however it does not cover the overall cost.
