Example
C asked for an independent review of the council’s decision. They had applied for a crisis grant as they were awaiting their first payment of benefit after leaving a job. They received no first payment of Universal Credit due to their previous earnings.
The council awarded C £150 in line with the amount C had requested. However, they then approached the fund for assistance the following week, and the council awarded a further £139.
C then asked for an independent review on the basis that the amount they were awarded was insufficient. We reviewed the council’s case file and spoke with C for further information. C told us that they had spent £120 of the total award they received on repaying borrowed money. Overall, we determined that the amount awarded by the council was reasonable and the reason it had not lasted was due to repaying debts, which the fund cannot assistance with. We did not change the council's decision but provided feedback that their initial decision did not provide information about the duration or intended use for the award, nor did it include other key information as outlined in the guidance.