Example
Mr C applied for a crisis grant as he had received earnings which impacted on the amount of Universal Credit (UC) he received. He therefore had insufficient funds for his immediate living costs and a lengthy period to wait until his next payment of UC.
The council declined his application as he had not provided a bank statement. At first tier review, Mr C provided a bank statement covering a two month period. However, the council noted that it didn’t cover the relevant timeframe and declined the review request on the basis that he did not provide a bank statement.
We considered the facts and circumstances of the case and found that while the council were entitled to seek information they considered to be relevant, where this is not forthcoming, they should still make a decision on the basis of the information they have. As they had not done this, we directed the council to reconsider the application.