APPLICATIONS for emergency cash and help in a crisis have almost doubled in Glasgow in five years.

Figures for the Scottish Welfare Fund show that in the last 12 months just under 41,000 applications were made for wither a Crisis Grant or a Community Fund Grant.

In 2013/14 the first 12 moths of the fund showed under 23,000 applications from people in Glasgow.

One in six of the total Scottish Welfare fund requests was from Glasgow.

The most common reason for needing a Crisis Grant was an emergency and almost 2000 said it was because of benefits delay.

A Scottish Government minister warned the need was likely to increase.

Shirley-Anne Somerville Social Security Secretary, said: “It is a sad fact of life for many families that an unexpected expense can completely disrupt a carefully managed household budget. People should never have to face a choice between eating or heating.

“As the UK Government persists with the roll out Universal Credit, forcing more and more families into poverty, we are going to continue to see an increase in people needing such support. Scotland will have lost £3.7 billion in welfare benefits a year by the end of this decade.

“Therefore, we will not stop calling on the UK Government to halt the roll out of this fundamentally flawed system. We are spending over £125 million this year alone trying to allay the very worst effects of the UK Government’s harmful welfare cuts and protect those on low incomes.”

One of the reasons cited for needing help was having nowhere to stay and being at risk of sleeping rough.

Housing campaigners warned that the increase was further proof that many people are struggling to keep their home.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “These figures are yet another sign of the human cost of Scotland’s housing crisis.

“Even more worrying is another huge increase - 69% - in the recorded reason for applying for a crisis grant as being ‘emergency - nowhere to stay and may resort to rough sleeping’.”