I have a client who is an asylum seeker with ILR, living in furnished accommodation who has had her application for a ccg to buy a washing machine turned down. She is HIV+, has a back injury and is clinically depressed. Her HIV means she suffers severe night sweats hence the need for a washing machine. She is in the process of trying to get her two children over to join her. The ccg was refused on the basis that it would not have eased exceptional pressure on her and her family as she does not live with her family. I mean, I'm not expecting much from the Social Fund, but is that not just a wee bit petty?

Can anybody think of a way round this?

Cheers

Ali

There is no definition of "family" for Social Fund purposes. See para 2758 of the Social Fund Guide which you can access on this site via toolkit. This tells decision makers of the flexibility that can be used, and to deal with each case individually, when interpreting the term "family".

How about arguing that it would help her to stay out of institutional or residential accommodation? These terms are not defined in teh legislation, so can be interpreted widely. The claimant does not ahve to show that the CCG would prevent them going into such accommodation but that it will help them remain in the community.
I think it is possible to introduce another argument about grounds at review stage.

Cheers - I tried the "keeping my client in the community" tack and it worked, although you do wonder some times whether they can't be arsed arguing over a couple of hundred quid, and just say yes to get you off the phone.

Tue 14-Dec-04 09:39 AM by ken

The Independent Review Service publish a magazine called 'The Journal' which may be useful in identifying and developing arguments to support social fund review applications.

It's published three times a year, and is available on-line.

As well as containing articles relating to social fund rules, practices and proceedures, it also contains a 'digest of decisions' - case studies illustrating particular aspects of Social Fund law and practice with each case based upon an actual case reviewed by a Social Fund Inspector.

The 'digest of decisions' sometimes also contains 'best practice notes' on various issues.

The Journal is available here.