The Tenant Grant Fund

The Tenant Grant Fund is a one-off payment to help people who got into rent arrears because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The fund ended on 31 March 2022, but some councils may still have help available. Check with your local council to see if they are still accepting grant applications.

If you received the grant, your landlord cannot evict you for any arrears that it covered.

Get help with money

If you’re struggling to pay your rent, help is available. Get free advice from a money and debt specialist:

phone the Money Talk Team
visit a Citizen's Advice Bureau in your area
text, email or web chat with Money Advice Scotland
get personalised debt advice from StepChange

If you received the grant

The council should pay the grant money directly to your landlord.

If the grant only covered some of the arrears, you should make an affordable repayment plan with your landlord to pay off the rest.

If you got the grant but your landlord is still trying to evict you for the COVID-related arrears, contact a Shelter Scotland adviser.

Other help to clear your rent arrears

There are steps you can take to deal with rent arrears:

talk to your landlord to let them know you're dealing with the issue
use a benefits calculator to check what you’re entitled to
check if you can claim discretionary housing payment
use a budgeting tool to manage your money
make an affordable repayment plan with your landlord

If you're being evicted for rent arrears

Your landlord cannot just throw you out. They have to follow the correct eviction procedure.

Get help from an adviser if you're facing eviction.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund

The Tenant Hardship Loan was a different fund to clear rent arrears. It closed to new applications on 31 December 2021.

If you received the loan and you're struggling to pay it back, get money and debt advice to help manage your payments.

Last updated: 1 April 2022