Example
C asked for an independent review of the council’s decision. They had applied for a Self-Isolation Support Grant as they had been identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. They worked in the hospitality industry and were unable to work from home.
The council declined the initial application on the basis that C had not provided information they had requested. C contacted the council four months later to re-apply to the fund but linked this to their original self-isolation period four months earlier. C was declined on the basis that they were applying 140 days after their original self-isolation period. C requested a first tier review of the decision but the council did not change their decision.
We reviewed the council’s case file and spoke with C for further information about why they did not respond to the council’s original request for information. C advised they had not received any contact and they had assumed they had been unsuccessful. We were unable to evidence that C had made any contact with the council in the four months before their most recent application to find out the outcome of the original application. As such, we did not change the council’s decision as we assessed that it was reasonable for C to have contacted the council to find out the outcome of their application around the time they made it. We also provided feedback about timescales as there was a two-week delay between C’s application and them being sent their initial decision letter.