On 23 June 2021 the Scottish Government announced the launch of a £10 million grant to support private and social rented tenants who had incurred rent arrears as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently local authorities have been authorised to use any remaining funding for tenants adversely impacted by the Cost of Living crisis.

The Scottish Government has provided SAL with an update on the operation of the fund up to 31 March 2023. As of 31 March 2023, local authorities have reported a total of 6,621 payments totalling £8,814,588.

Notably, the following local authorities still have 10% or more of their funding to allocate: Aberdeen City, Angus, Clackmannanshire, East Ayrshire, Falkirk, Glasgow City, Scottish Borders and South Ayrshire. Argyll & Bute and Dumfries & Galloway have more limited funding remaining. Landlords who have tenants in rent arrears in any of these local authorities may wish to encourage them to apply for grant funding. Details of how to apply are set out below.

How do you apply to get this grant?

Any tenants who have been financially impacted by the pandemic or the Cost of Living crisis and need help to avoid eviction should contact their local authority housing options or homelessness departments to enquire about the grant. Landlords and letting agents can also initiate an enquiry on behalf of their tenants. There is no application process to use for the grant funding. Instead, local authorities will use their discretion to determine whether a grant payment is appropriate in individual circumstances.

The grant can be used to pay off arrears which have arisen since 23 March 2020 and the money is paid directly to the landlord. Tenants will need to satisfy the local authority that they can afford future rent payments to sustain the tenancy once the grant is used to pay off arrears. Landlords must demonstrate that they are complying with the pre-action requirements for rent arrears and agree not to progress a repossession on the basis of Covid-19/Cost of Living related rent arrears where a grant is paid and the tenant meets all future agreed rent and repayment obligations.

Local authority contacts are below. This is information provided to us by local authorities. Please let us know if you find any of the contacts are now out of date.

Local authorityemail contactOther contact method if applicable
Aberdeen Cityhousingaccess@aberdeencity.gov.uk 
Aberdeenshireclosed to applications – funding used up 
AngusPRSenquiries@angus.gov.uk 
Argyll & Butehousingservices@argyll-bute.gov.ukOr phone 01631 572 180 
Clackmannanshiren/a, see webpage >>>www.clacks.gov.uk/coronavirus/thgcv/
Dumfries & Gallowaywelfareandhousingoptions@dumgal.gov.uk
Dundee Cityclosed to applications – funding used up
East Ayrshiretenantgrantfund@east-ayrshire.gov.uk 
East Dunbartonshireclosed to applications – funding used up 
East Lothianclosed to applications – funding used up 
East Renfrewshireclosed to applications – funding used up
Edinburghclosed to applications – funding used up
FalkirkTenantGrantFund@falkirk.gov.uk 
Fife closed to applications – funding used up
Glasgowtenantgrantfund@glasgow.gov.uk See also https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=27853
Highlandclosed to applications – funding used up
Inverclydeclosed to applications – funding used up
Midlothianclosed to applications – funding used up 
Morayclosed to applications – funding used up
Na h-Eileanan Siarclosed to applications – funding used up
North Ayrshireclosed to applications – funding used up 
North Lanarkshire  closed to applications – funding used up
Orkney Islandsclosed to applications – funding used up
Perth & Kinrossclosed to applications – funding used up
Renfrewshireclosed to applications – funding used up
Scottish BordersHomelessnessservices@scotborders.gov.uk 
Shetland Islandsclosed to applications – funding used up 
South AyrshireHousingOptionsTeam@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
South Lanarkshireclosed to applications – funding used upOr phone 0141 565 1200
Stirlingclosed to applications – funding used up 
West Dunbartonshireclosed to applications – funding used up
West Lothianclosed to applications – funding used up