It explores how direct financial assistance and improved access to wrap-around support can impact on the root causes of food insecurity whilst reducing reliance on emergency food provision.
The approach provides a more dignified response to financial crisis by empowering individuals to decide how best to use the funding, delivering assistance in a way that reflects their circumstances, and facilitating access to holistic support that can help prevent future hardship.
During the pilot period, the Aberdeen Cash First Network supported 157 single males and recorded a 94% decrease in foodbank use amongst recipients amongst many other positive outcomes for recipients. Due to this success, ACVO and partners have secured funding from The Robertson Trust and Aberdeen City Council Anti-Poverty Committee to extend the level of Cash First support provided across Aberdeen City.
Building on the success of the pilot project, this next phase will support a broader group of people to help test and evaluate the effectiveness of the approach across a wider demographic within Aberdeen City.
The Cash First Flexible Crisis Fund reopened on the 1st of September and will remain available to new referrals until March 2027. The new round of funding focuses on food insecure single adults, over the age of 18 years-old, who have no full-time dependants, and who are in receipt of an income-related benefit or who are experiencing a low-income and do not quality for income-related benefits, where an income and expenditure form has shown they are experiencing an income deficit.
The Fund provides individuals with direct funding, access to external funds, and access to wrap-around support to meet their support needs. Trusted partners from the Aberdeen Cash First Network can refer the individual for up to £500 – either in one-off or recurring payments for a maximum of 6-months depending on their level of need and personal circumstances. The Fund is delivered to individuals via vouchers, cash payments or direct payments depending on their ability to budget the funding and any identified risk factors.
Individuals cannot apply directly and must be referred through one of our trusted partner organisations. The current trusted partners involved in the Aberdeen Cash First Network include:
- Aberdeen Foyer
- Aberdeen North Foodbank – Kings Community Foundation
- Aberdeen Cyrenians
- Alcohol & Drugs Action
- Community Food Initiatives North East CFINE)
- Scarf
- Instant Neighbour
- Social Bite
A key principle of the Cash First model is to streamline access to person-centred, wrap-around support to meet the root causes of food insecurity – including welfare rights, debts, health and housing. Development will continue in identifying external funding opportunities and wrap-around support opportunities that can meet the individual needs of those referred.
Find out more on the Cash First Aberdeen website: www.cashfirstaberdeen.scot or contact Cash First Network Co-Ordinator, Amy Duncan at amy.duncan@acvo.org.uk
This article originally appeared in the November 2026 edition of ACVO News, our free monthly digital magazine for and from Aberdeen’s third sector. Read and subscribe for free at acvo.org.uk/acvo-news
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