During June our Scottish Welfare Fund team:
- responded to 72 enquiries
- made 59 decisions
- 26 community care grants
- 33 crisis grants
- upheld 16 (62%) community care grants and 8 (24%) crisis grants
- signposted an additional 58 applicants to other sources of assistance
- 27 (47%) people were calling us in error rather than their local council
- 6 (10%) told us they called our number because they had difficulty accessing their local council
- received 19 enquiries from local council liaison contacts seeking advice on the guidance.
Support and Intervention Policy
We escalated an issue under our Support and Intervention Policy, concerning a council’s written communication with applicants. We escalated it under stage one by email and had a meeting thereafter to discuss the issues raised.
Case studies
Insufficient enquiries made
C applied for a white goods, carpets and removal costs for their new tenancy. The council declined the application, stating that C's circumstances did not match any of the five qualifying criteria for a grant. C asked we review this.
We looked at the council's file and spoke with C. C told us more about health issues they had mentioned on their application form and about the domestic abuse they had experienced. They said this contributed to their mental wellbeing and desire to move.
The outcome of our review was that C qualified for a grant because this information demonstrated exceptional pressure. We changed the council's decision and instructed them to award all of the items asked for, as they met the 'high' priority rating. We reminded the council to contact applicants for additional information where they identify gaps in what they hold.
You can find more case studies in the searchable directory on our website.