Example
Mr C asked for an independent review of the council’s decision. He had applied for a crisis grant for living expenses for his family.
The council initially assessed that Mr C met the conditions for a grant and awarded him £137.82. Following Mr C’s first tier review, the council changed their original decision and awarded a further £137.82.
When we spoke with Mr C we established that he was facing a crisis situation but it was over 28 days since he had made his initial application. We also became aware that he had already been awarded the maximum amount the guidance suggests, and there were no additional circumstances to indicate why a higher amount should have been made. We assessed that when he contacted the council for further assistance, he should therefore have been signposted to make a new application. This was because there was likely to be nothing further that could be achieved by the review process, albeit he could still pursue this route if desired. We provided this feedback to the council.