Emergency grants to help struggling households feed themselves have more than trebled in the past year, with almost £1 million handed out over just three months.
Data from the Scottish Government disclosed that councils had handed out Scottish Welfare Fund grants totalling £9.3m between April and June this year. More than 100,000 households across Scotland have received help since the scheme was set up by Holyrood ministers in April last year.
The aid scheme replaces the Social Fund grants abolished by the UK Government's Department for Work and Pensions. Crisis grants are now given to help people in an emergency andcommunity care grants are used to help those coming out of care set up a home as well as help people to live independently and avoid going into care.
Most crisis grants helped people with food and heating costs, with 26,300 people receiving help between April and June, according to the Scottish Government.
Grants totalling £980,000 were given to help cash-strapped households pay for food - more than three times the total of £300,000 that was awarded for the same period in 2013.
Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said: "It is totally unacceptable that in a country as wealthy as Scotland anyone should be living in poverty and unable to afford items that many of us take for granted." She added: "Only full powers over welfare, employment and social policy will help us to tackle poverty and allow Scotland to become a fairer country."
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