Example
C applied for a crisis grant as they needed money for food and utilities. They had to dispose of their food after their fridge freezer broke. C is single parent with two children.
The council noted that C had received an award for a broken fridge freezer earlier this year and stated this situation was ongoing. They declined the application on the basis that C was not facing an emergency.
We reviewed the council's file and spoke with C. We noted that, whilst C had received an award for similar circumstances, a broken fridge was an ongoing situation as this item breaking was unexpected. We determined the application passed all relevant stages of the decision-making process and changed the council’s decision.
Recommendations
- We instructed the council to make an award of £325.00 to cover food and utilities until C’s next Universal Credit payment date, based on the recommended daily rate in the guidance.
Feedback for the council
- The council had sufficient information to assess that C was in a crisis and had incorrectly interpreted the available information.
- The first-tier decision letter was not issued in line with the timescales.
We asked the council to provide us with confirmation that the award was made within one working day.