Festive closure 

Our office will be closed for the festive period from 25 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026. 

We will be open on 29, 30 and 31 December between 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 4pm. During these times, we will be focusing on handling reviews of crisis grants received due to the urgency of these 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 5 January 2026 and we can take your application over the phone.

Our normal service resumes on 5 January 2026 at 10am. 

Case summaries

Subject Month / Year Outcome
Definition of an emergency Mr C applied for a crisis grant. He had received a benefit payment but had used the majority of this payment giving money to his mother and buying clothes. September 2018 Upheld
Definition of an emergency Mr C asked the SPSO to review the council's decision to refuse him a crisis grant September 2018 Upheld
Change of circumstances within 28 days Mr C applied for a crisis grant as he had no funds for gas or electricity after repaying money to an illegal money lender towards debts he owed September 2018 Upheld
Low income Ms C applied for a crisis grant after both she and her partner lost their jobs unexpectedly September 2018 Upheld
Definition of an emergency Mr C applied for a crisis grant as he was having deductions from his Universal Credit (UC) and also incurred a bank charge September 2018 Upheld
Definition of an emergency Mr C applied for a crisis grant as he had received his Personal Independence Payment (PIP) but had spent this August 2018 Upheld
Common medical conditions with respect to priority Ms C applied for a community care grant for a number of household items August 2018 Upheld
Meeting the need Miss C applied to the fund as she had experienced an infestation of bed bugs which had meant she had to remove a number of household items August 2018 Upheld
Change of circumstances within 28 days Ms C applied for a crisis grant as she had recently been made homeless and was sleeping rough August 2018 Upheld
Entitlement to SWF for people from abroad Mr A, who is a European Economic Area (EAA) national, applied for a crisis grant as he had stopped working due to illness August 2018 Upheld