3. Awarding items and services
3.15 Auditing Processes (spend cards)
Procurement of spend cards will be monitored using the ‘Crisis Payment Scheme activity monitor’ spread sheet held by the Project Manager. Breakdown of spend card numbers are held by the Crisis Payment Scheme manager and noted on claimants’ application notes. Once a month, spend card distribution, numbers of cards held on site and their value will be audited independently by a member of the Adult Social Care finance team. Should the value of spend cards on site exceed the value of £1,000, cards in excess of this amount will be kept in the main Civic Centre safe held within the Revenue and Benefits service. The process for transferring cards into the Civic Centre safe is as follows:
Either the finance officer or Crisis Payment Scheme manager will e-mail the Civic Centre Cash Office advising total amount of cards to be deposited with them
Cards are batched by the finance officer or Crisis Payment Scheme manager into £250 (Tesco) and £500 (Argos)
Civic Centre Cash Office staff verify the batches
Cards are then sealed in envelopes, date stamped across the seal and signed by both staff
The finance officer or Crisis Payment Scheme manager will e-mail you when a collection is required and advise the name of the person who will be making the collection.
The finance officer or Crisis Payment Scheme manager will sign Cash Office paperwork on collection
21 3.16 Managing administration of users on the Prepaid Financial Services MACP
The following users are registered to make awards on the MACP Prepaid Financial Services portal:
Natalie Batcock – access to e-wallet Stephanie Mulrooney – access to e-wallet Donna Jeffries – no access to e-wallet Sharon Humber - no access to e-wallet
Esther Harwood-Butler - no access to e-wallet Richard Moore - no access to e-wallet
Natasha Claxton - no access to e-wallet Ian Gough - no access to e-wallet Sarah Clarke - no access to e-wallet Nicky Hiles - no access to e-wallet
All staff are able to access reports, make awards and withdraw money from the balance of pre-loaded cards. Only those users with access to the e-wallet are able to make changes and download relevant reports about the e-wallet.
3.17 Process for administering prepaid cards
Cards are pre-loaded using the MACP portal. Instructions for how to do this are given in the MACP manual. Cards are loaded once the claimant has brought in verifiable evidence to substantiate their claim.
List of outlets and services where pre-paid cards can be used Furniture, white goods, bedding,
heating appliances, push chair, pram, high chair and other household goods
Dorset Reclaim Argos
Charity Shops – British Heart Foundation, Red Cross (only small pieces of furniture), Sue Ryder (electrical goods and small items of furniture) Clothing (for the whole family) Primark (male and female)
New Look (female only) Shoe Zone
Top Shop
Burtons (men only) Charity Shops
CANNOT BE USED in Peacocks, Bon Marche, Sports Direct due to MCC categorisation
Travel (Train and Bus) Wilts and Dorset First
Yellow Buses South West Trains
22 Ariel Taxis
Dial-A-Cab National Express Damory Coaches Excelsior Coaches
Officers may look up contact numbers for retailers or outlets as requested and within time constraints. The list of retailers and outlets above is provided with the award letter. It should be noted that if buying furniture or electrical items from a charity shop, we cannot guarantee that all items will be available.
The full amount loaded onto a prepaid card must be used by the claimant within 5 working days of the receipt of their award letter. Each month, a help desk officer will reconcile balances on cards, and any with remaining balances following 5 working days from receipt of the award will have their balance retracted and funds placed back into the e-wallet. Those claimants who have ATM use enabled are requested to send back all receipts of goods purchased with the cash to the Crisis Payment
Team.
The claimant will receive a letter with their card giving details of the Prepaid Financial Services Customer Services line. The line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm.
Using this service, claimants can check their balance, change their PIN or get a PIN reminder, block or unblock their card. The claimant should be advised to contact PFS Customer Services in the first instance should they have an issue with their prepaid card.
Should a claimant not use all of the money loaded on to their card, they will have been informed that it is their responsibility to inform the Crisis Payment Team of this, who will send out written confirmation via a letter template that their loan agreement amount has been reduced. At the same time, the officer will need to e-mail
[email protected] giving the name of the claimant, their address, and the amount by which the agreement amount needs to be reduced by.
Should a member of staff leave the organisation, or their role change, the project manager will need to be aware in order to remove permissions on the Prepaid Financial Services MACP portal. The above list will need to be amended to reflect accurately the users able to access the system at any given time.
4. Case Studies
The following case studies are included as a guide to some common enquiries about the provision of a Crisis Payment and how applications might be processed in line with current eligibility criteria.
1. ‘Basically I have a huge gas and electric bill that needs to be paid by the 6th March. I simply cannot pay it, or get it from anybody else. It’s a final bill as I have switched suppliers which I now really regret!
23 If I have to sort out a payment plan with npower to pay this bill off, then I won’t have enough money to pay the new supplier’.
An Assistant Care Manager would need to ascertain whether or not the applicant had already spoken with their new energy supplier to attempt to arrange a repayment schedule. They would also need to ascertain whether or not any help could be arranged from elsewhere, e.g. through the help of friends or family or through the arrangement of an overdraft, for example. Assistant Care Managers would also need to evaluate the impact of the situation on the applicant and/or their family to decide whether or not it was in reality a crisis, emergency or case of exceptional pressure leading to exceptional hardship.
2. ‘In 10 days time I have a job interview. If I get the job I won't be able to afford my travel costs until my first pay packet.
So I need £60 a week for 4 weeks totalling £240. Then when I get my first months salary I'll be ok.
I am currently on jobseekers allowance’.
In this case the Crisis Payment scheme would not be able to offer support as it is requested for an item or service not provided for. Besides this, it is unknown as yet whether or not funds would definitely be needed given that the applicant has not yet been successful in his/her interview.
3. ‘I need to pay for my father’s funeral’.
Funeral expenses are not provided for via this scheme. The applicant should be referred to the DWP in the first instance to apply for a Funeral Payment.
4. ‘I’ve just been discharged from prison and I don’t have enough food to last me until my first benefit payment’.
Any difficulty in meeting costs due to delays in receiving benefits should be referred to the DWP. Applicants may be able to apply for a Short Term Advance.
5. ‘I’ve just been discharged from prison and I don’t have clothes’. (The applicant didn’t get any from the clothing board before they were discharged).
The prisoner should have been provided with a discharge grant for clothing from the prison. Decision Makers would need to find out whether or not a discharge grant had been received for clothing on leaving prison or seek more information about why this discharge grant was not received. Any clothing awarded should be done so in line with the guidance about items and services in Appendix F of this guidance.
6. ‘I’ve broken my tooth and need to pay for specialist work’.
A Crisis Payment cannot meets costs for dental work.
24 7.’I have a disabled child and my washing machine has broken. I use it all the time as he needs frequent changes of clothing’.
Firstly, this is a benefit-related claim and the necessary checks would need to be carried out to ensure that the applicant was in receipt of the relevant benefits. As with case study 1, more information would need to be gathered in order to ascertain the impact on the applicant of the washing machine breaking down. Is there a friend/family member who may be able to help with the cost of repairing or replacing the machine or another organisation who could support the family with costs such as the Family Fund? Is there a significant risk to the health and safety of the applicant or their family? Does it impede so much as to prevent normal daily function of the applicant or their family?
8. ‘My fridge has stopped working’.
Much more detail would be needed here as to the applicant’s situation and the impact on the applicant’s everyday life. See above.
9. ‘I need money for transport to pick up a prescription and attend appointments’.
Crisis Payments do not provide for costs of picking up prescriptions or attending appointments.
10. ‘My carer has broken my microwave and I don’t have a cooker’.
The Decision Maker would need to ascertain whether or not the carer’s employer had the relevant insurance to cover any claim for the microwave. Usual questions would need to be asked including the ability of any friends or relatives to help with costs or other organisations where the applicant might first be referred. Microwaves are not an item provided via the scheme under normal circumstances, so it would need to be ascertained whether or not the microwave might be replaced with a cooker should the application be eligible.
11. ‘We’ve had a fire in our house, we don’t have any insurance, and we don’t currently have anywhere to live beyond a day or two’.
This applicant should be referred immediately to Housing and Community Services.
25
5. Special circumstances
5.1 Proceedings under the Children Act 1989 (Children (Scotland) Act 1995)
Any applicant requesting support to visit a child:
• who is in the care of the estranged partner; and
• where a question regarding a child's upbringing has not yet been determined by the court
Must in the first instance apply to Children’s Social Care services for assistance.
This should ensure that neither parent is seen by the court to be in a less advantageous position simply because he or she cannot afford the fares. The term 'parent' may include a person who has parental rights.
If the child is in LA care and the LA has determined that the child is in need, you may wish to liaise with the LA who may exceptionally provide payment of travelling expenses.
It would not be appropriate to make an award once the responsibility has been decided by the court, e.g. to allow a parent to exercise their right of access to the child, or if responsibility proceedings are not being undertaken. You may award a CP if an appeal against the court's decision is pending.
See page 59 for contact details of Children’s Social Care 5.2 16 - 17 year olds claiming Job Seekers Allowance
16 - 17 year olds who have established an entitlement to JSA or payments on account of such a benefit will need to apply for a short term advance from DWP (see page 53).
5.3 Hardship due to payment of regular income in arrears
Most IS, ESA (IR) or JSA (IB) and other benefit claimants will have resources from their previous source of income, e.g. last wages, to cover the period until the first benefit payday.
Similarly, for most people starting work the benefit payment arrangements will be such as to provide resources to cover the period up to their first pay day. Some people may not have sufficient resources to meet their needs during these periods and they should apply for a short term advance from the DWP in these circumstances (See page 53).
5.4 Applying for a Lifeline
Applicants previously applying for a Community Care Grant in order to pay for the annual costs of installing a lifeline (under the criteria of exceptional pressure due to impacts of a disability) may now be able to apply for a Crisis Payment instead. Any applicants requesting a payment to fund a lifeline who have not previously had one installed should be referred to the Housing and Community Services Control Room
26 in the first instance to see whether or not a lifeline is appropriate and to talk through the applicant’s needs. Should the Control Room believe that an applicant may be eligible for a Crisis Payment they should refer the applicant back to the Crisis Payment scheme.
Applicants will not be eligible if they are already in receipt of Adult Social Care services and have had their contributions reduced to pay for a lifeline or are eligible for this again on renewal of their lifeline. They will also need to prove that they are in receipt of Income Support, income related Employment Support Allowance, income based Job Seekers Allowance, State Pension Credit or Council Tax Support and demonstrate a clear need to have a lifeline installed. They will be deemed at ‘critical’
or ‘substantial’ risk in line with Adult Social Care FACS criteria. They will not be expected to repay any amount awarded for the purposes of this service due to their vulnerability.
The following procedures should be followed:
1. Crisis application to be completed on care first.
2. Usual Paper work to be verified plus evidence of ‘Critical’ or ‘Substantial’ needs.
3. Scanned and saved in ESCR
4. On completion of the application form:
a) Check Fairer Charging Financial Assessment on Care First.
b) If the client is ‘nil charge’ and the amount is not already being deducted as part of their expenditure, the client is eligible for a Crisis Payment for Lifeline.
c) If the client is paying a contribution to care, please discuss individual cases with Sandra Hogarth (finance team). The cost of the Lifeline may be able to be deducted from their contribution as part of the client’s expenditure. This will prevent the client having to reapply annually for the Crisis Payment.
5. If a Crisis Payment is needed to support Lifeline, an email should be sent to [email protected] containing the client’s:
CF number, Address Date of birth
Cost code ZH5000/91230
The acknowledgment email should be saved in the client’s ESCR under ‘Finance’.
Lifelines are free to install but the client needs to pay a monthly maintenance figure.
Yearly this equates to £179-£280 per year. Any amount awarded will include this total amount.
27 See:
http://bopwss3/sus/gg/Shared%20Documents/Lifeline/Poole%20Lifeline%20Telecare
%20Services%20Leaflet.pdf
28
Appendix A – Disregards
Any resources can be disregarded if the Assistant Care Manager considers it reasonable to do so in the circumstances of the case. Assistant Care Managers should not routinely disregard any resource; they need to establish that the resource has been specifically earmarked for a purpose. Such disregards will normally be applied to:
housing benefit
other Social Fund (SF) payments
the value of the applicant's home or premises acquired for occupation by the applicant within 6 months
the value of any premises occupied by a relative or former partner of the applicant
the assets of any business owned by the applicant
any sum paid to the applicant in consequence of damage to or loss of the home or any personal possessions and intended for its repair or replacement
any sum acquired on the express condition that it is used for effecting essential repairs or improvements to the home
any personal possessions, except those acquired for the purpose of securing eligibility for a Crisis Payment
any run-on payment of council tax, council tax support or housing benefit
any compensation award set aside for the replacement of lost livelihood
any integration loan granted under The Integration Loans for Refugees and Others Regulations 2007
The mobility component of Disability Living Allowance should be disregarded in full when considering the resources of a person who has applied for a Crisis Payment, as was the case with previous Social Fund Crisis Loan administration and with regard to Section 73(14) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (NI) Act 1992.
Payments from the Independent Living Fund 2006
Payments from the Independent Living (Extension) Fund/Independent Living (1993) Fund should be fully disregarded. These are discretionary trust funds which will make payments to enable a severely disabled person to continue to live in the community.
Primarily payments will be made to enable the disabled person to employ domestic assistance or personal care. However, trustees are able, exceptionally, to make lump sum payments for items which will prevent the applicant from entering residential care.
Payments from the MacFarlane Trust
Payments made from the MacFarlane Trust should be fully disregarded. This is a charitable trust established partly out of funds provided by the Department to the Haemophilia Society for the relief of poverty or distress amongst those suffering from haemophilia.
29 Payments made from the trust do not have to be disclosed by Crisis Payment scheme applicants.
Payments from variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD) trusts
The vCJD trusts make payments to people who have contracted vCJD and their immediate families. The payments are made in recognition of the pain and suffering of victims and their families.
These should be fully disregarded.
Payments from the Skipton Fund
The Skipton Fund makes payments to those people infected with Hepatitis C from NHS blood or blood products. These payments are made on compassionate grounds and will help alleviate some of the problems people, affected in this way, are experiencing.
These should be fully disregarded.
Other disregards
Any other resources should be fully disregarded if it is considered reasonable to do so in the circumstances, e.g. it may be reasonable to disregard capital assets such as savings certificates for a few days provided the applicant is urgently arranging to cash them.
Help from another person or body
Any help which might be available from any other source to meet or partly meet the need should be taken into account, if there is a realistic expectation that help would be available in time. Possible sources of help might be charities and benevolent funds which are known to be likely to provide the required assistance.
Health and Social Services Boards/Trusts
Social Care units do not normally meet financial needs. If there is an indication that help may have been sought or provided by them, Assistant Care Managers should check with units to avoid duplication of help.
30
Appendix B – Exclusions
(1) A crisis payment may not be awarded in respect of - (a) any of the following –
(i) any need which occurs outside the United Kingdom;
(ii) an educational or training need including clothing and tools;
(ii) an educational or training need including clothing and tools;