Example
C applied for a crisis grant after struggling to budget their income. C needed money for food and utility top-ups.
The council reviewed C’s bank statements and determined that they were not in a position of crisis at the time of their application. They assessed that the qualifying criteria was not met and declined the application.
We reviewed the council's file and spoke with C. We noted that the evidence made available to the council showed that C only had an available balance of £8.25 at the time of their application. We considered that C was in financial crisis and qualified for a grant. We assessed that C's application met the priority level of 'high most compelling'. Therefore, we changed the council's decision.
Recommendations
- We instructed the council to make an award of £196.50 to cover food and utilities for C and their dependent child until C's next income date, based on the recommended daily rates set out in the guidance.
Feedback for the council
- The evidence provided by the applicant supported their application and showed that they were in a position of crisis when they made their application.
We asked the council to provide us with confirmation that the award was made within one working day.