Example
C applied for a crisis grant to replace their broken boiler. The applicant is a homeowner and cannot afford a new boiler.
The council declined the application on the basis that C was applying for an item excluded from the fund under annex A point 21 ‘substantial improvements to a private property’.
We reviewed the council’s file and spoke with C. We noted that C was facing hardship without heating. However, we assessed that the application was for an excluded item and that a boiler was a substantial improvement. Therefore, we did not change the council’s decision.
Feedback for the council
- The decision notes were not sufficiently detailed in line with the requirements of the guidance
- The decision letters did not correctly state which stage of the decision making process the application was declined at and they did not provide a personalised explanation of the decision or detail the assistance applied for, all of which are requirements of the guidance.