If there is any welfs out there with fully functioning brains despite it being monday and temperatures in the 80's (don't mind the heat, where i live we get lovely refreshing sea breezes, so i feel for the urban welfs).

Anyway getting back to the vagaries of welfdom, Just been reading the minutes from one of our liaison meetings which i couldn't get to and one entry states the following in response to another advice agencies query.

"Crisis Loans, People in hospital with mental health problems cannot make a claim for a crisis loan until an exact date of discharge is known, and not more than two weeks in advance. It was asked if there was any flexability in this as it is often difficult to get an exact discharge date. K spoke to Social Fund and they have advised that they have no flexability in this at all. The regulations state that they must have an exact date before they give a decision".

My understanding of Direction 15 is that the key is the discharge is planned within 2 weeks which does give flexibility, i.e. note from the ward saying a case conference was held on such a date and we plan to discharge J Bloggs within the next 2 weeks. I can't see anything in Direction 15 suggesting there has to be an exact date of discharge, which makes sense because my experience of hospital discharges are that they are ad hoc affairs.

Anyway apart from hoping the above reads coherently (my brain has melted in the heat and on a go slow in terms of communicating and understanding simple human communication). I disagree with the notion discharge dates have to be set in stone or concrete. I'd be really grateful for the opinion of others on this, because depending on other peoples stance on this, it would be a good way of communicating to the SF depot via the Liaison group co-ordinator.

Andy

So anyway, checked out the Secretary of State's guidance wotsit for Decision makers and Social Fund Inspectors, nothing i could get my wooden dentures into.

So then faced with the dilemma of what does a lowly bog standard boy welf do? Because lets face it the good old days of CL application, internal review and then IRS review all within 48 hours have gone by the way side, so its even more vital than ever to influence the application stage of decision making!

So rang up the IRS and a really helpful Woman called Lis Martin from the Social Fund Commissioners Business office, emailed me back with a brilliant IRS interpretation of Direction 15 Hospital Inpatients etc etc etc.

I've emailed to our local liaison group co-ordinator to forward to Bristol and all the local reps etc etc.

If anyone wants a copy they are really welcome