Example
C requested an independent review of the council's decision on their community care grant application. C applied for assistance with the cost of internet installation and one year's worth of bills.
The council declined the application on the basis that they considered this to be an ongoing expense, and therefore excluded under point 15 of Annex A of the guidance.
We reviewed the council's file and spoke with C. We acknowledged that C could not currently access the internet at public libraries due to COVID-19. However, we agreed with the council that the costs of installation and a year's worth of bills represented an ongoing expense, and was therefore outwith the scope of what the fund can assist with. We did not change the council's decision, but we provided them with feedback on their decision letters, which did not meet the requirements set out in the SWF guidance.