Example
C asked for an independent review of the council's decision on their application for a community care grant. They had applied for assistance to repay debts, and to arrange a repair to the sink in the kitchen and a broken toilet flush.
The council initially refused the application as they said that the assistance was excluded due to being an on-going feature of expenditure. C requested a review of the decision. At first tier review, the council assessed that the application was excluded as repairs to private properties could not be provided by the fund.
We requested the council’s case file, and spoke with C for further information. They told us that they had recently broken their ankle and shattered one of their hips. They confirmed the scope of the repair amounted to fixing a leak and replacing a flush. We therefore assessed that this would not fall under the substantial repair to private property exclusion in annex A point 21 of the guidance. We instructed the council to make an award of £197.50 to cover the cost of the repair. We also provided feedback that they had incorrectly interpreted the guidance in relation to exclusions, and the applicant's circumstances. Feedback was also given about their written communication.