Emergency grants in East Dunbartonshire double in a single year

From July to September, 2015, £13,158 was given to people who, due to an unexpected expense such as a flood or a boiler breaking down, were forced to rely on a crisis grant.

For the same period in 2016, the figure was £25,818 - an increase of 96 per cent.

West of Scotland MSP Neil Bibby said the figures showed there was a need for social security reform to provide a “stronger safety net”.

He said: “Hundreds of thousands of Scots are one unexpected bill from being in real trouble. “We need to ensure our system supports people properly.”