Example
C applied for funds to dissemble furniture, disconnect their cooker and pack boxes ready for them relocating to London. C's disabilities meant that they were unable to carry this out themselves.
The council declined the application on the basis that C was not maintaining a tenancy in the local authority area.
We reviewed the council's file and corresponded with C. C confirmed that they were returning to England for personal reasons. They confirmed that they had received a Discretionary Housing Payment for removal costs, but due to dyslexia, had miscalculated the costs needed to prepare for the move. As C was not establishing or maintaining a tenancy within Scotland, we assessed that the qualifying criteria for an award was not met and did not change the council’s decision.
Feedback for the council
- The council should consider each of the qualifying conditions individually against the information provided on the application form.
- Establishing or maintaining a tenancy is considered at the qualifying stage, not eligibility.