Festive opening hours

We will close for the public holidays on Tuesday 24 December 2024 at 2.30pm, and remain closed for the public holidays between Christmas and New Year. 

However, we will open on 27, 30, and 31 December 2024 between 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 4pm. During these times, we will prioritise reviews of crisis grant applications. If you wish to request a review of a community care grant application, you can do so online. Alternatively, you can call us on 3 January 2025, and we will assist you over the phone.

Our normal service will resume on 3 January 2025 at 10am.

Case study

  • Date:
    July 2024
  • Category:
    Exceptional circumstances for crisis grants

Example

C had applied for a crisis grant for money for food and utilities after their money was stolen when they had a seizure. The council refused the application, because C had already received three awards in the last 12-month period (the usual maximum allowed). They did not identify any exceptional circumstances that would allow for an additional award to be made, stating that C had received previous awards after losing their money. 

C asked us to review the council’s decision. 

We looked at the council's file and spoke with C. We did not agree with the council’s decision because C’s was an exceptional circumstance. Money stolen is different from money lost which meant the council had used incorrect information in their decision making. We changed their decision and gave learning and improvement feedback on their decision letters.

Updated: July 21, 2024