East Lothian Council: benefits and support
East Lothian Council administers the Scottish Welfare Fund, Discretionary Housing Payment and Council Tax Reduction for local residents. Scheme applications are handled through the council, with mygov.scot providing the national council-selection route where council URLs change.
110k residents · Unitary authority · Council benefits hub
Schemes
Scottish Welfare Fund
Year-roundScottish Welfare Fund
East Lothian residents aged 16 or over on a low income can apply for a Crisis Grant after an emergency, or a Community Care Grant where they need help to establish or maintain a settled home. The council decides awards under the Scottish Welfare Fund statutory guidance.
The mygov.scot page routes applicants to the selected council and is used here as the stable national selector.
Verified 2026-05-05
Discretionary Housing Payment
Year-roundDiscretionary Housing Payment
East Lothian residents can apply if they rent their home, receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing element, and those benefits do not cover all their rent. Scottish DHP policy covers bedroom tax mitigation, with other shortfalls assessed by the council.
The mygov.scot DHP page lists every Scottish council and routes applicants to the correct local authority.
Verified 2026-05-05
Council Tax Reduction
Year-roundCouncil Tax Reduction
East Lothian residents on a low income may qualify for the Scottish Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which can reduce a bill by up to 100% depending on income, savings, household composition and disability or caring circumstances.
Verified 2026-05-05