Example
Mr C applied to the council for a crisis grant for travelling expenses. He advised the council that he had been involved in a road traffic accident and as a result of this accident, he cannot use public transport. He therefore applied to SWF for money so he could uses taxis for his food shopping.
The council considered that the application for travel expenses was excluded under section 16 of Annex A of the guidance which states travelling expenses, with the exception of one-off expenses relating directly to the qualifying criteria, for example travelling expenses to help someone move to a new home where that move is essential to their re-integration in the community, or if a journey is essential in connection with a crisis, exceptional pressure or in support of independent living. As a result, they refused the application and upheld this decision following his first tier review request.
Mr C applied to the SPSO for an independent review of the council's decision. He reiterated that he could not use public transport and although he had money for his immediate needs (i.e. food) he required additional money to cover the cost of taxis to allow him to go out and get his shopping. We assessed that the council had followed the guidance correctly and agreed that this application was for an excluded item. While we acknowledged Mr C was facing difficult circumstances, he was not receiving ongoing treatment for his injury and was not using any mobility supports. He had also discharged himself from hospital. We were satisfied that the council had correctly identified that Mr C's application was for an excluded item and that his circumstances did not meet any of the exceptions where travel costs can be awarded. We therefore did not change the council’s decision.