PROJECTS that provide help to families when they need it most are being given a £2.4 million funding boost, the Scottish Government has said.

A total of 16 projects that help low-income families who are facing a change in circumstance which could leave them struggling financially will share the cash pot.

The money, from the ­Scottish Legal Aid Board's Tackling Money Worries scheme, will help eight projects that help parents cope with the birth of a child and the early years.

Two initiatives that aim to help families undergoing changes such as a relationship breakdown will also benefit, along with six projects that help people going through the criminal justice system.