Example
C applied for a community care grant for replacement flooring for the hall and kitchen, and replacement winter coats. They had experienced a flood from the property above and the owner would not accept responsibility for the repairs needed.
The council declined the application because C's circumstances did not match any of the qualifying criteria for a grant. They were also not satisfied that the priority of replacement flooring met high priority.
We reviewed the council's file and spoke with C's representative. We noted that C had mobility problems, irritable bowel syndrome and poor mental health. We noted that the impact of not having flooring in these areas was causing them distress and putting their safety and hygiene at risk. We were satisfied that C's circumstances met the qualifying criteria for an award and changed the council’s decision.
Recommendations
- Award vinyl for the kitchen and carpet for the hall. We did not change the council's decision in respect of the replacement of clothing which we assessed fell under the exclusion in Annex A 15 - an ongoing feature of expenditure.
Feedback for the council
- The council did not take into account all the available information when assessing qualifying criteria.
- The council's decision records included incorrect information about C's circumstances, and the council's current priority level.
- The council's decision letters did not reflect the reason for refusal as recorded in the case notes.
We have asked the organisation to provide us with confirmation that the award was made within one week.