Independant Review Service - CCG

[itsme123]

Hi, Ive applied for a community care grant myself and appealed once.

Now i am using my support worker from riverside (who house me and gave me tennany LOCAL COUNCIL). My support worker has stated in a letter that i should be entitled as part of a resettled way of life and is affecting my illness (depression).

 

My support worker has also got a letter of my ex probation worker and she states in the letter that i only had temporary accommodation at my mothers therefore she will support my application for a community care grant.

 

Im just wondering what the chances are of it been over turned at by a IRS worker? It seems very odd as people under the same pressure as me are getting awarded community care grants but i am not.

 

Also has anyone went to the IRS and had there decision over turned?

 

Im 24 single and just got a new tenancy (first tenancy)

 

Thank You

Edited May 11, 2012 by itsme123

[itsme123]

Anyone? Any info would be great.

[silverfox1961]

I went to IRS and had my appeal turned down but in my case they were correct because I did the grant the wrong way. I moved house and borrowed the money for removal costs THEN applied for the grant. I should have applied BEFORE

 

If you were turned down on the appeal then the IRS is the only way to go

[itsme123]

Well as i have said now i have my support worker on my side.

 

It tates if you are getting help with a local council been re housed then it will work in my favour and should be entitled to it? I never knew this until a friend said to get a support worker. So for all this time i have done it myself when there was support around the corner which i was entitled to.

 

Do you know any % rate of reviews won at IRS?

 

thanks for reply.

[silverfox1961]

I do know that people who have an unsettled background should get some help but generally don,t get everything they ask for. Did the dwp say why you were turned down.

What I will do is ask if one of the site team can advise

[ErikaPNP]

It's difficult to say because you don't really say much about your resettlement other than you have been rehoused. Being rehoused by the local authority is not enough in itself to claim under the criteria of resettlement.

 

The resettlement part of the criteria is 'moving as part of a planned resettlement programme after an unsettled way of life'. There has to be a programme in place. This is aimed toward people who have not had a settled life beforehand - for example, homeless people, young adults coming out of the care system, people being resettled in the community after being institutionalised or incarcerated. It also requires a planned programme of resettlement. The programme can have a variety of things included such as assistance with substance abuse, or basic things such as teaching the person to live independently if they don't know how to do this. The plan will have a number of goals in place and it could be really simple - finding a home, making it habitable, teaching basic skills, or it could be more complex - but there must be a plan.

 

Because we don't know anything more than you have a new tenancy via the council and now have a support worker, we don't have enough information to say whether the decision will be overturned by the IRS.

 

There is a lot of information on the IRS website that you might be interested in reading. They also have a digest of decisions they've made which can give you an idea of how they work. It's worth a look.

[itsme123]

It's difficult to say because you don't really say much about your resettlement other than you have been rehoused. Being rehoused by the local authority is not enough in itself to claim under the criteria of resettlement.

 

The resettlement part of the criteria is 'moving as part of a planned resettlement programme after an unsettled way of life'. There has to be a programme in place. This is aimed toward people who have not had a settled life beforehand - for example, homeless people, young adults coming out of the care system, people being resettled in the community after being institutionalised or incarcerated. It also requires a planned programme of resettlement. The programme can have a variety of things included such as assistance with substance abuse, or basic things such as teaching the person to live independently if they don't know how to do this. The plan will have a number of goals in place and it could be really simple - finding a home, making it habitable, teaching basic skills, or it could be more complex - but there must be a plan.

 

Because we don't know anything more than you have a new tenancy via the council and now have a support worker, we don't have enough information to say whether the decision will be overturned by the IRS.

 

There is a lot of information on the IRS website that you might be interested in reading. They also have a digest of decisions they've made which can give you an idea of how they work. It's worth a look.

 

i have a support worker from my local council doing my review. I also have a letter from my probation officer who helped me and even states that i was in temporary accomodation and had to look for a new property to resettle me into the community. My probation officer had stated in the letter that she would support this. My support worker has laid out a support plan for me also this consists of.. (This has been sent to the IRS) 1. new tennancy, help with a community care grant to support my needs for furniture and appliances to set up my new home. 2. To get help and support from my support worker to get help with managing with bills and day to day expences. 3. To look at getting into training and to get help with a career which includes going to college in september. So i would say that what i have stated is a resettlement program? In which would fit the bill for a community care grant. Can i also appeal the IRS decision? thanks for the help.

[ErikaPNP]

Yes - that is a support plan. I would suggest that you submit a copy of it for the review if you haven't already.

 

No, you cannot appeal an IRS decision, this is the final step in the review process. You can apply for a judicial review but that is something done via the courts and can only be done if there is an error in law resulting in injustice.

[itsme123]

Yeah that was sent along with my probation workers letter. With a support plan i would THINK it should be overruled even with the probations letter as it is resettling me.

[ErikaPNP]

Yes - hopefully the IRS will review it in your favour. I've seen some ridiculous decisions that should never have gotten that far going to IRS and being overturned so don't think that because the Social Fund have turned you down that the IRS will too.

 

I think that all it boils down to now is the items that you have requested. For example, they are not going to agree that having a TV is a necessary item that would assist you in settling, but a cooker yes, that is a necessary item that would assist you. Carpets is a funny one - they don't like to award for carpets.

 

Have you heard of freecycle or freegle? These are free websites where people advertise goods that they no longer require to save them going into landfill. There is no money exchanged, the goods are free and you can place a 'wanted' advert too. Well worth a look.

[silverfox1961]

I agree with looking at freecycle but I once applied for a grant (many moons ago) and they said to me, "Have you checked on freecycle!" To say I was a little gobsmacked is an understatement and I also didn't get the grant