Example
Mr C applied to the council for a community care grant for a number of household items. He had been in his tenancy for a number of years and lived with his young daughter. He applied for items on the basis that they were not working, needing repaired or replaced.
The council considered that Mr C did not meet any of the qualifying criteria as set out in the Scottish Welfare Fund Guidance. They upheld their original decision following Mr C’s first tier review request.
Mr C asked us for an independent review of the council's decision. We considered the particular facts and circumstances of his application. This included information provided by Mr C and details of the decision making process provided by the council. As he was settled in his home and had no health issues, we considered that the only potentially applicable criterion was the one relating to exceptional pressure (covered in s8.14 to 8.15 of the guidance). However, while we considered Mr C’s circumstances were difficult due to being on a low income and with a young child, we did not assess that he could be described as facing exceptional pressure to maintain a settled home. We did not change the council’s decision.