Example
C asked for an independent review of the council's decision. They had applied for a Crisis Grant due to their Universal Credit payment being zero due to earnings.
The council awarded C £150 for 28 days along with an increased amount to take into account the cost of living increase. C requested a first tier review of the decision on the basis that this was not enough but the council did not change their decision.
We reviewed the council's case file and attempted to contact C but they did not respond to any contact from our office. As such we were unable to determine why this amount was not enough to last. We did not change the council's decision but provided feedback to the council about the guidance not being followed in respect of the calculation of the award.