"Huge increase" in demand for Highland welfare payments
Highland Council Leader Margaret Davidson says there's been a rise in people asking for self-isolation grants and help with fuel payments
There's been a "huge increase" in people asking for emergency welfare payments from Highland Council since New Year, according to the authority's leader.
Margaret Davidson says staff from other departments are being drafted in to cope with a surge in demand.
She says the welfare team are mainly dealing with requests regarding self-isolation grants and help with fuel bills.
People "very concerned" about their finances
Mrs Davidson said she spoke to a member of the Council's welfare team regarding people calling about welfare payments on their emergency number.
"There’s a huge increase in that since the New year," she said.
"Both people applying for the self isolation grant to help pay for them to stay at home so that they can do it.
"Also, people are just generally very concerned about their finances, fuel bills and other things which are really causing strain just now.
"When the department wrote to me, they listed solutions to what’s happening just now, getting people from other services in the Council to come and help them.
"But that means that department will obviously be feeling the strain as well.
"We are prioritising the absolute frontline services, but we’ve got to be watching it all the time."
Calls for patience
Mrs Davidson also confirmed the Council are not exempt from the pressures currently being felt by other businesses and services due to Covid-19.
She added: "My conversations with the Chief Executive and other officers has been very much on 'how are we coping' and 'how are we are doing'.
"The NHS, we all know has been struggling, but believe me, all other services are.
"There are a lots and lots of businesses also teetering on the brink of being able to function fully.
"We’ve just got to be patient with each other, we’ve got to very much do what we can to help ourselves, but that doesn’t mean don’t call if it’s really important, you’ve got to call."