THE Scottish government has announced £90 million in housing hardship cash for the year ahead.

The funding will be allocated to councils to distribute through the discretionary housing benefit (DHP) scheme — devolved in 2017 — designed to support struggling households where other housing benefits do not meet the full costs, but increasingly being used to fill funding gaps caused by the benefit cap.

SNP housing minister Paul McLennan said: “This funding will help to bridge the gap between what people need in benefits from the UK government, and what they actually receive.