Example
C requested an independent review of the council's decision on their crisis grant application. C had recently returned to the UK, and were waiting on their first payment of Universal Credit being made after making a new claim. They were without funds for essentials.
The council declined the application as C did not provide evidence of their address. C requested a first tier review, and the council accepted that C was sofa surfing, and awarded £112.84 based on 30% of the income support rate.
We reviewed the council's case file and spoke with C and the DWP for further information about their circumstances. C confirmed that they had applied to the council for housing, and were currently sofa surfing with a friend as they had no accommodation. C told us they felt the award amount was insufficient and they felt it was discriminatory as it did not take into account their dietary needs due to health conditions. We changed the council decision and calculated the award at 60% of the Income support rate as per section 7.24 of the guidance. We assessed that this was appropriate to meet the needs described by C. We provided feedback to the council regarding the incorrect interpretation of information when calculating the award, written communications and that the timescales were not met.