Office closure - 5pm Thursday 28 March - 2 April 2024

Please note that we will be closed from 5pm Thursday 28 March until Tuesday 2 April 2024 for the Easter break. You can still request a review via our online form but we will not be able to respond until we reopen. Wishing you a happy Easter!

Case study

  • Date:
    July 2018
  • Category:
    Exceptional circumstances for crisis grants

Example

Mr C applied for a crisis grant as he had lost his money after withdrawing all of it in one go. He was without food, gas or electricity until his next benefit payment nine days later.
 
The council declined Mr C's application on the basis that he had already received three awards in the last 12-month rolling period. They stated that there were no exceptional circumstances that would allow for them to make an exceptional fourth award. This decision was upheld at first tier.
 
Mr C requested an independent review of the council's decision on his crisis grant application. We received the council's file and agreed that Mr C had already received three awards in the last 12-month rolling period. We spoke to Mr C and considered his application history. We noted that he had made an application six months earlier for an identical set of circumstances. Additionally, as Mr C had taken all of his money out in one go, we assessed that he had some responsibility for his current situation. On that basis, we did not uphold the review request as we agreed that the circumstances were not exceptional (covered in section 7.23 of the guidance). We provided the council with feedback on the quality of their written communication.

Updated: July 17, 2019