Example
Ms C applied for a crisis grant for food and living expenses. The applicant was in receipt of universal credit (UC) and had two children, one of whom was under one. The applicant initially stated that her fridge freezer had stopped working and that she had no money left for food and living expenses.
The council refused the application on the basis of inconsistencies in the applicant’s explanation. They noted that the applicant had provided bank statements to support her application that contradicted the amounts of money she had reported having spent. At first tier review the applicant provided a significantly different reason for the crisis, but again the council considered that they did not have sufficient evidence to verify the new circumstances.
We recognised that the council’s decision not to award was fair and reasonable based on the available evidence. However, information that was not present in the initial application became apparent during the independent review process. The applicant acknowledged that she had not been truthful when explaining why she was in crisis, and stated she had simply overspent her benefits. We took into account a previously undiagnosed and severe mental health condition, that the applicant has been neglecting aspects of her life and particularly her finances, and this had been verified by her Community Psychiatric Nurse. We therefore changed the council’s decision based on new information received and awarded £150.00.