Example
C applied for a Self-Isolation Support Grant via the Scottish Welfare Fund at their local council. They were employed and had recently been asked to self-isolate, preventing them from working for a fortnight.
The council initially refused the application on the basis that C had taken holiday leave so had not incurred any loss of earnings. C requested a first tier review and explained that due to delays with the Test and Protect system passing their details to the council they had contacted their employer. As a result of this contact, C took some holiday leave as they could not manage without any income. They also took some unpaid leave. C explained that they did not want to take holiday leave but felt they had no choice. The council requested payslips but as these were not provided they did not change the decision.
C submitted an independent review request. We spoke with C for additional information. C provided us with payslips and a self-declaration which confirmed a reduction in their income due to the period of unpaid leave. As such we changed the council’s decision and recorded this finding as ‘new information’ as we noted this was not information the council had at the time of their review. We deemed C was eligible for a grant and instructed the council to award C £500.