Crisis Payment Scheme Guidance

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V.4.6 Crisis Payment Scheme Guidance

Manual for

Assistant Care

Managers and

Managers

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1. Eligibility

1.1 Eligibility - Purpose and definition

Crisis payments are intended for applicants who are unable to meet their immediate short-term needs and who are experiencing disaster, emergency or exceptional pressure. They are administered by the Adult Social Care Help Desk, whose opening hours are 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Eligible situations include:

Non benefit-related eligibility:

 Disaster (includes flood, fire, gas leak, chemical leak, natural disaster affecting the home. Also includes imminent disaster such as flooding which is officially forecast to severely affect the home of a vulnerable applicant)

 Loss of money (lost or stolen – crime report number should be supplied)

 Benefit spent (should also be considered a budgeting issue and relevant signposting carried out – no cash award to be made under any circumstances)

Benefit related eligibility:

 Domestic crisis (includes domestic violence, sudden death of family member, including related travel expenses)

 Exceptional pressure (Help to support prisoners on temporary release, hardship due to compulsory unpaid holidays enforced by employers, pressure such as chronic illness or impacts of a disability, capital not realisable)

The need for help will generally be for:

 a specific item or service such as food, furniture, white goods, heating appliance, heating, bedding, clothing or help with travel expenses, with food and heating and travel provision to meet a need of no more than 14 days.

The crisis payment should be the only means of avoiding serious damage or risk to the health or safety of the applicant or a member of the family, or to assist with an urgent need such as food and heating for someone caring for a prisoner or young offender on temporary release, or to assist with urgent travel expenses to go to a funeral, for example.

 Applicants must be permanently resident in Poole, also known as ordinarily resident - “ordinarily resident” refers to a person’s abode in a particular place or country which he has adopted voluntarily and for settled purposes as part of the regular order of his life for the time being, whether of short or long duration; or

 Applicants must have a close family associate (parents, step parents, grandparents, siblings and adult children) living in Poole continuously for at least 5 years and wish to establish themselves in Poole after a period in residential care, hospital or prison;

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2 Assistant Care Managers need to consider all the circumstances of each case, in particular:

• the nature, extent and urgency of the need (must be high priority)

• the existence of resources from which the need may be met

• the possibility that some other person or body may wholly or partly meet the need At all times signposting to other relevant support should be considered given the applicant’s situation and circumstances.

Applicants will not be eligible if:

 There is a safe alternative way of meeting their short term needs, including:

o Their own financial means

o Friends, family or carers who can provide help

o Voluntary sector organisations who are able and willing to provide a service which meets their needs

o Appropriate statutory service provision from Borough of Poole or other organisations.

 They are residents in care homes with no plans for discharge within 2 weeks

 They are hospital in-patients with no plans for discharge within 2 weeks

 They are members of a religious order who are being fully maintained by it

 Their benefit claim is disqualified, disallowed or sanctioned

 They are a ‘Person from Abroad’ who has not passed the Habitual Residency Test and is therefore not eligible for UK benefits.

They do not have recourse to public funds (as stamped in passport) and do not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Eligibility for UK benefits can be checked by contacting Revenue and Benefits – see page 59

1.2 Definition of high priority

Whilst the situation provides a condition for eligibility for a crisis payment (e.g.

disaster, loss of money etc.), the items and services needed by the applicant, in relation to the preservation of their health and safety, as well as the ability of the applicant to meet payment for such items and services, will deem the application eligible (or not). These items and services include:

 Living expenses (food and heating for a maximum of 14 days). Applicants must be able to prove that they are unable to meet this need themselves.

 Any items to prevent serious risk to health and safety, e.g. fireguard, safety gate, cooker guard (again applicants will need to prove that they are unable to provide these items for themselves).

 Items essential to day-to-day living; cookers, beds and bedding, washing machine, fridge, heating appliance, push chair, pram, high chair.

 Payments to assist with travel expenses to attend a funeral (see p. 5 for list of deceased relatives applicable here).

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 Furniture should the applicant have received a Rent in Advance payment from Housing and Community Services. Applicants will need day-to-day items of furniture which include those from the following list:

 Cooker, bed, bedding, fridge-freezer (although usually a fridge only unless there are exceptional circumstances such as a large family with a disabled child, for example), sofa or table/chairs. (See page 56 for contact details of Dorset Reclaim)

 Accommodation costs if stranded away from home

Other items such as iron, storage items, other electrical items (such as liquidiser, TV, DVD player and curtains) are not considered high priority and will not be provided.

Costs such as fuel reconnection, HP and other debts, removals, home improvements or decoration will not be met. Payments for travel to a funeral will be met up to a maximum award amount of £50.

1.3 Eligibility – Receipt of benefits

Some elements of the Crisis Payment will only be awarded if the applicant is in receipt of income-based benefits (Income Support, income related Employment Support Allowance, income based Job Seekers Allowance, State Pension Credit and Council Tax Support). These include:

 Help with travel expenses to travel to a funeral (up to a maximum award amount of £50)

 Help looking after a prisoner on temporary release

 Help looking after someone who is ill or disabled

See page 59 for contact details of Revenue and Benefit services to check benefit status.

1.4 Non benefit related eligibility

1.4.1 Non benefit related eligibility – Disasters

A disaster is defined as a sudden calamitous event or great misfortune causing loss of possessions or property. The result will normally be significant damage to, destruction or loss of, possessions or property. However, where there is no effect on property, there will at least be an extreme situation causing severe disruption to the day to day life of the applicant and others. An example of this is an evacuation due to a chemical leak.

The effects of a disaster are generally felt by a whole community (e.g. street or larger geographical area). Examples of disasters are:

 flooding

 gas explosion

 chemical leak

 fire

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4 A CP can be considered for immediate short term needs as a consequence of a disaster. Help can be offered in the form of a specific item or service, unless they are excluded (see Appendix A). The mere occurrence or the scale of disaster should not be considered in isolation from the applicant's resources and ability to cope with the needs arising.

The list is not exhaustive, and can cover many other calamitous events. Bear in mind that some needs may be covered by insurance, the Local Authority or charitable organisations.

See link to the Housing Intervention service, page 59

The Assistant Care Manager will need to consider the individual circumstances and merits of the case carefully. The event does not necessarily have to impact on other homes and families. However, the event must have very significant consequences.

In most cases there will be no doubt that a disaster has occurred within the area covered by the Local Authority, for example severe flooding or gas explosions. Large scale tragedies require a particularly sensitive response. Be aware that victims are especially vulnerable to emotional and psychological disturbance.

Some of these may require more careful examination of the evidence and fine judgement. For example, an incident involving a run away vehicle crashing into a single property may or may not be considered a disaster. It may be a relatively minor incident, with damage to a boundary wall. Or a more significant event resulting in significant structural damage to the house and temporary homelessness for the occupier.

Similarly a fire within the applicant's home caused by overheating a chip pan may or may not be considered a disaster. The severity of the event and the impact on the applicant and family must be considered. For example, minor smoke damage in the kitchen area and a cooker that no longer works may be the result of a domestic mishap, not a disaster.

It is an event of sudden or great misfortune with significant consequences. The Assistant Care Manager should take into account the degree of misfortune and damage, and the overall impact on the applicant and/or family.

1.4.2 Non benefit related eligibility - Disaster imminent but not yet occurred

Crisis Payments may also be administered to help to alleviate the likely consequences of an imminent disaster. For example flooding is officially forecast to severely affect the home of a vulnerable applicant. The applicant seeks help with travel expenses to take him to relatives outside the area who can care for him.

These expenses can be considered as a consequence of a disaster even though the event has not yet occurred.

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5 Local Authorities are responsible for co-ordinating emergency and disaster planning within their area for both relatively localised disasters, e.g. widespread flooding, chemical leak into the atmosphere.

1.4.3 Non benefit related eligibility - Loss of money etc.

Loss of money may result from a variety of different circumstances. If a giro cheque is not received or is lost before encashment this should be dealt with under the normal replacement rules of the local authority or Job Centre Plus (See page 53).

These provide for full replacement in most cases. The need to consider a crisis payment should only arise in a minority of cases where full replacement is not made because of strong doubts about the circumstances of the non-receipt or loss.

1.4.4 Non benefit related eligibility - Benefit spent

Should an applicant have spent their benefit, they should be referred to budgeting help in the first instance. Food may be provided in the form of a voucher from the food bank and in exceptional cases, for example where a small amount of money is needed for bus fare, cash will be awarded.

1.5 Benefit related eligibility

1.5.1 Benefit related eligibility - Domestic crises

Should an applicant request help to visit their child who is in the care of a relative or close friend, and the applicant is in receipt of IS, JSA(IB) or ESA(IR), in the first instance the applicant should be referred to Children’s Social Care for assistance.

Should Children’s Social Care be unable to assist, a CP may be awarded for single or return fares arising from a domestic crisis, e.g. a parent on IS, JSA(IB) or ESA(IR), or payments on account of such a benefit is visiting their child who is in the care of a relative or close friend. A CP should not normally be awarded for a visit to a child who is in the care of a Local Authority (LA), as LAs have the power to help in such cases.

Priority should be given to those whose needs are most acute, e.g. a lone parent who is going into hospital or who is too ill to look after the child or children.

See page 59 for CYPSC contact details.

1.5.2 Benefit related eligibility - Travelling expenses - fares to attend funerals

See http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2010/social-fund-reform/5-social-fund- funeral/ and

https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments/eligibility

In the first instance, an applicant should be referred to the DWP to see whether or not assistance can be given for travel expenses to a funeral in the form of a funeral

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6 payment. If the applicant is responsible for arranging the funeral, advise them to apply for a Social Fund Funeral Payment.

Normally, `funeral expenses' should be interpreted as expenses of burial or cremation.

All items referred to in the specification in the Funeral Payment Regulations are funeral expenses, even though there may be a limit on the amounts payable for some items. These items include:

for burials:

 the necessary cost of a new burial plot with an exclusive right of burial or the cost of reopening an existing grave

 the necessary burial fees charged by the authority responsible for cemeteries in the area where the burial takes place or by a private grave-digger

or for cremations:

 the necessary fees charged by the authority responsible for the cremation

 the cost of any medical references or doctor’s certificates

 the cost of any necessary removal of an active implanted medical device (for example, a pacemaker)

and in any case:

 the cost of documentation needed for the immediate release of assets of the deceased

 when it is necessary to move the body over 50 miles within the UK to the funeral director’s premises or place of rest, the reasonable cost of that part of the journey which is over 50 miles

 where the return journey to the funeral is necessarily over 50 miles, the reasonable cost of that part of the return journey that is over 50 miles for the transport of the coffin and bearers, plus one additional vehicle

 the necessary cost of a return journey for you, either to:

o arrange the funeral, or

o go to the funeral (CP can be awarded if funeral payment already provided for travel expenses to arrange the funeral – see below)

 up to £700 for any other funeral expenses.

Payments may be affected by a pre-paid funeral plan.

If an applicant requests other items, consider if these are actual expenses of burial or cremation. Some items may be connected with a death but may not be expenses of burial or cremation. For example, you may consider:

 a headstone to be a memorial

 clothing to attend a funeral to be a personal need of the applicant

If a funeral payment has already been provided for a return journey to make funeral arrangements, a CP may be awarded to help towards reasonable travel costs, within

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7 the UK, which may be incurred by an applicant and/or other members of their family to attend a relative's funeral which is to take place in the United Kingdom (UK). This is up to a maximum amount of £50. This is restricted to the following relatives:

grandparents, parents (including step-parents), partner (including same sex partner), brother, sister, child, grandchild, uncle, aunt, mother and father-in-law, sisters- and brothers-in-law (but no other in-laws) and mother and father of long-term partner.

Applicants will need to provide proof of the funeral and death of the relative or partner. Assistant Care Managers can make contact with the funeral director if that information is obtained from the applicant. A payment may be made for a spouse of the applicant to attend the funeral also, but not dependent children under 16.

1.5.3 Benefit related eligibility - Exceptional Pressure

"Exceptional pressure" covers a very wide range of personal circumstances.

Exceptional pressure on a family unit may be due to a sudden domestic upheaval imposed by an unforeseen calamity, for example:

• a house fire; or

• a natural disaster such as flooding;

The specific circumstances giving rise to a need are important in deciding if an applicant is eligible. An award will be made for a new type of expense which has arisen as a direct result of special circumstances, particularly if these were unforeseeable. For example:

• a mother with young children needs household items following the breakdown of a violent relationship; or

• the sudden deterioration in the condition of a disabled child justifies an award for a washing-machine; or

The consideration of "exceptional pressure" must be fully documented on the application form. If the pressure is not considered exceptional, the reason(s) should be clearly indicated. "Family" in this section should generally be taken to mean couples, including those with children, people caring for children or pregnant women over 24 weeks although discretion can be used in defining a family. Assistant Care Managers must consider all the circumstances of each particular case.

It may be appropriate for example to extend the definition of family beyond the conventional "nuclear" family scope to include siblings. For example, two elderly sisters living in the same house would be as vulnerable as conventional families to a variety of stressful circumstances, particularly those resulting from unforeseen calamities such as flooding.

See page 53 for other organisations who may be able to help.

1.5.4 Benefit related eligibility - Breakdown of a relationship

When deciding if a relationship has ended recently, take account of what has happened since the relationship broke down, e.g. the applicant may have spent some time in a refuge or other temporary accommodation until permanent

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8 accommodation could be found. In such cases it may be reasonable to award a CP even if the relationship has not recently ended. It is also important to take account of the vulnerability of the applicant and risk to their health/safety in the given circumstances.

Some applicants may remain in the same accommodation but need certain items because, following the end of the relationship, their partner left with the items.

Check the facts of the case as far as possible from social workers, local counsellors or community workers involved in the case. In domestic violence cases information may also be available from a women's refuge or police liaison officer.

Do not consult outside agencies without the applicant's consent.

Give priority to cases where there has been domestic violence and a CP will help protect the applicant and/or any children from risk, e.g. if a family needs travelling expenses to move to a refuge in another area where they are less likely to be traced by a violent partner. If possible verify circumstances with a responsible third party.

Work with a social worker wherever possible. However, absence of such verification should not automatically preclude a payment.

You should be particularly careful to avoid making any enquiry which may put the applicant at further risk.

When dealing with claims arising from domestic violence, you should alert Social Care units if you suspect that a child is at risk of harm.

Tell the applicant that it will not normally be appropriate to make CPs more than once for the breakdown of the same relationship.

See page 53 for other organisations who may be able to help.

Breakdown of a relationship - types of need which may be considered

Consideration may be given to one or more of the following. This list is not exhaustive:

Furniture, household equipment You may either:

• award a CP for, e.g. specific items of furniture, bedding, connection charges (for heating only) and household equipment which the applicant needs.

When deciding how much to award, consider whether the home is partly furnished and whether the applicant already has the item.

Clothing and footwear

A CP may be awarded for clothes and/or footwear in cases of domestic violence where either:

 an applicant is unable to recover clothes from the shared home

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 clothes have been damaged as a result of the breakdown. As a general rule the applicant and their children should have at least one change of clothing and enough protective clothing

1.5.5 Benefit related eligibility - Clothing (including footwear) for disabled children

A CP for clothing should normally only be awarded if the particular disability or condition of the child causes either:

• excessive wear and tear on clothing to such an extent that it would be unreasonable for the applicant to meet the cost from weekly IS, JSA (IB) or ESA (IR), or payments on account of such a benefit, even with a family premium and the disabled child's premium

• rapid weight gain or loss

The child should have at least one change of clothing and sufficient protective and warm clothing.

1.5.6 Benefit related eligibility - Hardship due to compulsory unpaid holidays

Hardship may be caused exceptionally due to employers imposing compulsory unpaid holidays. A crisis payment may be appropriate in these circumstances.

1.5.7 Benefit related eligibility - Prisoners - Clothing on discharge

Assistant Care Managers should bear in mind that under the Prison Services' Manual V, governors are responsible for ensuring that discharged prisoners should be suitably and adequately clothed. Convicted prisoners should have a clothing board to assess their needs. The prison may issue remand prisoners with clothing if their own is not fit to wear.

Prisoners will need to prove their date of discharge from prison and declare that they have not already accepted clothing from the clothing board. You should not contact the prison without the prisoner’s permission.

You should be aware of what clothing has been issued to the applicant by the prison, bearing in mind that:

• prisons issue clothing to meet just the immediate needs of prisoners on discharge

• what prisoners actually receive in practice may vary from one prison to another

• the amount of clothing issued by the prison may not be sufficient to meet the applicant's long term needs in the community

When considering what to award for clothing needs, as a general guideline ensure that the applicant has at least one change of clothing and appropriate protective clothing for the time of year.

See page 54 for contact details of probation/prison services

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10 1.5.8 Benefit related eligibility - Prisoner or young offender on release on temporary licence

Certain prisoners and young offenders are granted short periods of leave, normally two or five clear days at home, in order to help them readjust to life outside prison. A Crisis Payment (CP) may be awarded towards items and services, if the prisoner or young offender spends the leave with a person who receives IS, JSA (IB), SPC or ESA (IR) or payment on account of such benefits and will provide care.

Link to Revenue and Benefits check contact details here: 59 Probation/Prison Service link here: 54

1.5.9 Benefit related eligibility - Capital not immediately realisable

Occasionally someone might be without regular income but because of capital assets worth over £16000, e.g. property, there is no entitlement to IS, ESA (IR) or JSA (IB). A person in this situation who is not able to realise those assets immediately will be expected to raise money against them.

A crisis payment for everyday items or services will only be appropriate in these circumstances for a short period (up to 14 days) until the applicant arranges credit facilities. If no attempts are being made to realise the asset or arrange alternative credit facilities, a crisis payment will not be appropriate.

1.5.10 Care Leavers

There are different definitions of a care leaver;

Eligible child

A child or young person aged 16-17 Still looked after

Has been looked after for 13 weeks or more since the age of 14 Relevant child

A child or young person aged 16-17 Has left care

Has been looked after for 13 weeks or more since the age of 14 Former relevant child

A child or young person aged 18-21 (who has been an eligible or relevant child or both)

Has left care

Have been looked after for 13 weeks or more since the age of 14

If at 21 the child or young person is still being supported by the local authority with education or training, they stay a former relevant child until the end of the agreed programme of education or training even if that goes over the age of 21.

1.5.11 Qualifying children and young people over 16 Qualifying children and young people over 16 include:

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 A child or young person aged up to 21 (or 24 if in full time education or recognised training) including children and young people who do not fall into any of the three categories above

 Ceased to be looked after or accommodated in a variety of other settings, or privately fostered, after the age of 16

Any care leavers making an application for a Crisis Payment should be referred to the Pathways team within Children and Young People’s Social Care unit initially.

Should they then apply for a Crisis Payment subsequently, their application should be considered in the usual way and within the same eligibility criteria as all other applications.

See page 59 for Pathways Team contact details

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2. Assessment of applications

2.1 Requesting further information to support the application

If it is not clear from all the information provided that the expenses have arisen as a consequence of a disaster then further information should be requested to support the application.

The Assistant Care Manager may find the following details useful:

 were the emergency services called out, if so which services?

 who/what has been affected and in what way?

 has landlord/building society been informed of any damage?

 is the accommodation still habitable?

 were any other support services involved, if so which?

This list is not exhaustive.

See page 59 for Police safeguarding hub contact details

All applications will be reviewed by the Crisis Payment Scheme manager. All decisions are final. There is therefore no right to review or appeal, but applicants have the right to complain about how their application was dealt with by Help Desk staff. This complaints procedure is detailed on the refusal or notification of award letter, and the internal operational procedure for complaints is detailed in Appendix N of this document.

2.2 Treatment of resources

Generally all income and capital resources of the family needs to be taken into account, without any disregard, subject to conditions below. Any resources which are actually available to the applicant or could be obtained in time to meet the need if application were made should, subject to conditions below, be taken into account.

Resources include:

 capital assets

 earnings

 any other income

 cash in hand

 funds in bank or building society accounts which may be obtained by means of a cash card or a cheque and cheque guarantee card

 credit facilities but see conditions below

 money available through any existing loan or overdraft facility but see conditions below

Resources available on credit should only be taken into account if the applicant is not in receipt of IS, ESA (IR), JSA (IB) or SPC.

See page 59 for Revenue and Benefits check contact details

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3. Awarding items and services

3.1 Principles around Grant/Loan administration

The crisis payment is made in principle as a loan, unless there are exceptional circumstances or it is uneconomical to recover the amount as a loan (i.e. any amount under £25).

Exceptions, for which the crisis payment is made as a grant:

Certain vulnerable groups will not be expected to repay any award, regardless of the amount. These include:

 Care Leavers

 Those fleeing domestic violence

 Those requesting help due to exceptional pressure. An example of this may be where a washing machine used by a family with a chronically disabled child breaks down.

 Those for whom repayment would lead to severe hardship which is defined as a prolonged absence of essential daily living items associated with hygiene, shelter, nutrition or personal security.

In certain circumstances, officers will need to use their discretion in deciding whether or not any award is made in the form of a grant or a loan.

3.1.1 Repayment terms for applicants in receipt of benefits

An applicant in receipt of benefits will be expected to pay back any amount borrowed within 13 weeks in full, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Should exceptional circumstances exist, extended terms may be set up using quarterly intervals. The maximum term within which a loan should be repaid shall be 2 years (104 weeks). Any personal debts should be considered in relation to the Council’s Collection and Debt Recovery Policy which takes into account the priority of the debt in relation loss of one’s home (Mortgage/Rent), risk of imprisonment (Council Tax, Business Rates and Court Fines), loss of utilities (electricity, gas and water) and

‘other’ priorities, including Council Sundry Debts, Housing Benefit Overpayment, Child Support Agency deductions, Court Fines, Income Tax, Maintenance Arrears, Secured Loan, VAT, Telephone, Penalty Charge Notices. Creditors will use their judgement to decide on how to pursue and recover unpaid loan amounts, e.g.

through court proceedings.

3.1.2 Repayment terms for applicants not in receipt of benefits

An applicant not in receipt of benefits will be expected to pay back any amount borrowed within 13 weeks in full.

Please note that anyone unable to repay a loan within 2 years will not be eligible for a payment.

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14 3.1.3 Direct debits

A direct debit ideally will be set up with claimants with a monthly amount agreed to be taken. If this is not possible, Income Recovery will send out payment slips for the monthly amount agreed.

3.1.4 Failure to pay

Income Recovery will take responsibility for following up any failure to repay loans awarded. This recovery process will be in line with existing policy for recovering loans under the Rent in Advance scheme, which takes account of vulnerability of those who have taken out loans. Income Recovery will carry out a full affordability assessment with any applicants who fail to repay under their agreed terms.

3.1.5 Setting up a loan repayment schedule

Based on a principle of 13 weeks, loan repayments should be calculated either on weekly, fortnightly or monthly terms. For applicants on benefits, this schedule may be extended up to a maximum of two years dependent on circumstances. This will be at the discretion of the officer and must be approved by the help desk manager.

Once the repayment amount and terms have been agreed, the document ‘loan memorandum’ should be completed and must be signed by the claimant. This document should then be scanned and stored in the agreed area within the Oracle environment in Adult Social Care services. An automatic e-mail will be generated and sent via a manager to Income Recovery at [email protected]. Income Recovery can be contacted on 01202 634215. Any unpaid amounts will be followed up by this unit and a monthly report will be completed informing Adult Social Care and the Project Manager of any outstanding amounts and payments made so far.

Any loan amounts will be credited back to the Crisis payment budget and debts unpaid and written off will be deducted from the overall fund budget.

3.1.6 Administering Pre-Paid cards When pre-paid cards should be administered

Pre-paid cards should be administered in the following circumstances:

 To provide claimants with furniture, white goods, gas and electricity (where there is a meter card or token), clothing, bedding, laundry, travel and accommodation costs.

How much to award

The guide within this document should be used for deciding on how much to award in relation to travel, accommodation, gas and electricity, clothing and laundry (where applicable). The following price list should be used to decide on the total amount to award in relation to furniture, white goods, bedding and any other miscellaneous appliances:

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15 How cards are administered

 Please see the MACP manual for guidance on loading cards, reversing transactions, checking case notes etc.

 A customer letter, just as with FFT or Argos/Tesco spend cards, is generated from Care First, of which a copy is provided to the claimant to sign alongside their proofs. Claimants must sign this to agree to the terms and conditions of the award. Alongside this is provided a list of relevant outlets and services where the card can be used.

 A letter which is supplied with the card gives details of PFS Customer Services should there be any issue with the card.

 The card needs to be activated before it is handed over to the claimant.

Amount to award

Sofa £200

Vacuum cleaner £60

Safety gate £20

Fireguard £20

Table and chairs £70

Bed base (single) £50

Bed base (double) £90

Mattress (single) £60

Mattress (double) £100

Cot £100

Washing machine £180

Tumble dryer £180 (special circumstances only) Large fridge or freezer (or fridge-

freezer)

£150 Small fridge or freezer (or fridge-

freezer)

£110 – fridge or fridge-freezer

£130 - freezer

Heating appliance £25

Cooker £180

Microwave £40

Heating appliance £25

Single pram or pushchair £60 Double pram or pushchair £120

Highchair £30

Single duvet set £8.50

Double duvet set £11

Single duvet £10

Double duvet £13

Pillows x 4 £6

Single sheet £3

Double sheet £5

Cooker guard £17

Overnight accommodation Max £40 per night

Floor covering £250 max

Washer-dryer £350 (special circumstances only)

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16 3.2 Third party payments

The payment should normally be payable to the applicant. However, a payment can also be made to a third party who can provide, or arrange for the provision of, the items or expenses covered by the payment.

This power should only be used exceptionally, for example, where there is firm evidence that the award may not be used for its intended purpose. If you do decide to make such a payment, document the reasons fully.

3.3 Notification of an award/notification of refusal of an award

If an applicant has been deemed eligible for an award following the application process, a letter of notification of award should be printed from within the application e-form and given to the applicant when picking up their award from the Adult Social Care reception. The notification letter includes an attached page where the claimant signs a declaration that the information they have given is true to the best of their knowledge, and that they have not made an application to another local authority’s crisis assistance scheme within the previous 28 days from the date of the application. It also requests that the claimant signs to confirm the amount they have been awarded, and signs in acknowledgement that a fraudulent claim may lead to further proceedings being initiated by Poole Borough Council. Items awarded should be filled in on this document and irrelevant information about types of award deleted before passing on to the claimant and a record kept within the agreed area with the Oracle environment. This will be completed within 72 hours of the applicant’s original application.

Should an applicant not be deemed eligible, a letter of refusal of award should be completed and sent to the applicant’s home address or requested address. This should detail clearly the reason for refusal.

3.4 Gas and electricity expenses

Where an applicant applies for a CP in respect of everyday items or services and indicates that this is to include the cost of gas or electricity, e.g. a fuel powercard or a token for a pre-payment meter, first see whether the applicant has attempted to get an emergency supply from their gas or electricity supplier. If this has failed, Assistant Care Managers need to identify as far as possible the amount needed in order to restore any emergency supply as well as usual supply and consider these as immediate short term needs for the cost of restoring a customer’s emergency credit supply. This will be provided via the prepaid card service.

3.5 Bedding

A CP should normally only be awarded if the applicant has an exceptional need for bedding, i.e. because the applicant or a member of his family is either:

 bedridden or incontinent and the bedding has to be changed regularly

 confined to bed for a prolonged period or is housebound and needs extra warmth

 there has been a disaster, emergency or crisis as already defined in this document

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 the applicant is applying for a furniture pack as they have received a Rent in Advance loan from Housing and Community Services.

Links to disability charities can be found on page 55 3.6 Laundry needs

If the applicant or a member of his family is bedridden or incontinent:

• a CP may be considered for a washing machine. The payment should cover the cost of a new machine including any connection charge and delivery.

• and if there are no suitable drying facilities, e.g. outdoor drying area, drying cupboard, a CP may be awarded for a tumble dryer, or if appropriate a dual function washing machine/ tumble dryer. The cost of delivery and connection may be met.

Applicants should be advised that tumble dryers are expensive to run.

Help with laundry needs may also be considered if:

• an applicant is unable to wash by hand due to disability and

• there is no one who can help with the laundry 3.7 Travel expenses (see Appendix F)

Any award will only be allocated for travel within the UK. A maximum award of £50, regardless of the distance of travel, will be made.

Travel awards will only be made to assist:

 a person to attend the funeral of grandparents, parents (including step- parents), partner (including same sex partner), brother, sister, child, grandchild, uncle, aunt, mother and father-in-law, sisters- and brothers-in-law (but no other in-laws) and mother and father of long-term partner

 to assist a person suffering from domestic violence to travel to a place of safety or, in special cases, for a parent to visit their child where the child is in the care of the estranged partner or where a question regarding a child's upbringing has not yet been determined by the court (see ‘special circumstances’ below), and has already requested help from Children’s Social Care for this purpose.

The amount should normally be the cost, single or return as appropriate, of:

• ‘standard’ rate public transport, excluding air fares, or

• the cost of petrol either:

− up to the cost of public transport, if this is available

− in full, if public transport is unavailable or the applicant/ partner cannot use public transport because of physical disability or because they are frail and elderly, or

• taxi fares, only if either:

− the applicant/partner cannot use public transport because of physical disability or because they are frail and elderly and there is no access to private transport

− public transport is unavailable and there is no access to private transport

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18 The cost of an escort's fare may be met where the person concerned is incapable of travelling alone, e.g. because of youth, age, illness or disability.

Costs should be calculated for no more than 14 days of provision.

See page 54 for links to Domestic Violence charities and organisations 3.8 Charges for overnight accommodation (see Appendix F)

The cost of reasonable accommodation may be met if:

• it is essential for the applicant to stay overnight, e.g. they cannot reasonably make a return journey in one day

• there are no other suitable alternatives, e.g. staying with relatives

Any serious risk to health or safety to homeless people or those threatened by homelessness should be referred to Housing and Community Services in order to secure accommodation or obtain items and services.

3.9 Providing furniture assistance for housing-related applications The flow chart below outlines when the Crisis Payment Scheme should support applicants with housing related needs. Applicants will be single persons or rough sleepers engaging with Poole Outreach Support Team, or moving on from supported housing and who are not ‘Priority Need’ under Housing and Community Services criteria. Other applicants not eligible for help from HCS, but eligible for help potentially from the Crisis Payment Scheme, are intentionally homeless people, those for whom Housing and Community Services have no statutory duty to house, and those moving to social housing.

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19 Should the applicant be moving house, for example from a Social Housing property to another Social Housing property, and need help with removal costs, they can be advised to make an application for a Discretionary Housing Payment. This applies if they have been affected by a reduction in their Housing Benefit. See

http://www.boroughofpoole.com/apply/benefits-discretionary-housing-payment- application-form/.

Usually, a Discretionary Housing Payment is awarded if the applicant is already receiving Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support but the benefit payment amount does not cover their total rent / council tax bill. They can then apply for this additional payment.

3.10 How much to award (see Appendix F)

A CP may be for a single item or expense or a number of items and expenses added together. There are no directions restricting the total amount that may be awarded as a CP. However, you should bear in mind that the scheme is cash (budget) limited.

Paying an award at an amount greater than is required by the customer in order to purchase what they need means that there is less funding for other high priority CP applications.

The amount awarded and the method of awarding the payment is at the discretion of the crisis payment manager,

Tesco’s/Argos spend cards can be utilised only if there is a named professional that supports the application and is willing to observe the purchase of good on behalf of the BOP other wise all awards will be made through the pre paid cards to facilitate tracking of expenditure on each individual client,

3.11 Delivery Charges

See page 47 for home delivery costs for Argos and Homebase. Essentially, smaller items which can be delivered by one person would incur an extra amount of £3.95 to be delivered to loan or grant award, and the claimant will manage the delivery of the item awarded. Larger items (needing more than one person to deliver) incur a cost of

£8.95.

3.12 Crisis Payment Scheme budget

The overall budget for grant spend for the Crisis Payment scheme is £208,198 for 2013/14. Half of this amount has been transferred to the Housing and Community Services budget to continue administering Rent in Advance and Rent Deposit schemes. The scheme will not be limited to a monthly spend, to avoid cases where claimants are ineligible at the end of the month but eligible for support at the beginning of the next.

3.13 Timescales for processing of applications

All applications to the help desk will be processed within 72 hours of the original time of application. Prepaid cards are issued instantly and can be used to buy relevant goods and items at chosen, but limited, outlets.

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20 To improve the effectiveness of the application process the initial decision to award an amout will remain the responsibility of the manager, however following that decision responsibilities have been delegated to the crisis payment lead and qualified workers only to sign off the loan agreements and oversee the signatures of the applicant for goods received,

Authorisation of amount and method of payment will be recorded in the applicants Care First case recording,

Any award should be collected within 48 hours of issue. If a claimant is unable to collect their award within this time, they must contact the advice line to discuss this.

A member of the team may need to call them back as part of the application process.

They will attempt to make contact 3 times, after which it is up to the claimant to make contact with the advice line to continue with the application.

3.14 Timescales for retention of personal information

Personal information will be stored for 2 years from the date of first application. This is to ensure that repeat applications can be monitored and that relevant information in relation to repeat applications is available for staff to refer to. After this date, all personal information will be destroyed.

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

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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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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27 See:

http://bopwss3/sus/gg/Shared%20Documents/Lifeline/Poole%20Lifeline%20Telecare

%20Services%20Leaflet.pdf

Crisis Payment Scheme Guidance

V.4.6