Response 785273389

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Contact details and publishing consent:

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Individual
Organisation/Group
Organisation/Group name* (Required)
Whiteinch & Scotstoun Housing Association
Organisation/Group address**
1 Northinch Court
Glasgow
Organisation/Group postcode**
G14 0UG
Please select one item
Community organisation
Third sector / equality organisation
Private sector organisation
Representative body for professionals
Local government
Community Planning Partnership
Public Body, including Executive Agencies, NDPBs, NHS etc
Academic or Research Institute
Other – please state…
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Publish this response
Do not publish this response
Your name along with your response
Just your response (anonymous)
Please do not publish my response at all

VIEWS ON POLICY ISSUES AND EQUALITY IMPACTS

1. Is it a problem that Local Authorities (LAs) use different ways to decide whether or not a Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) applicant is on a low income to check that they are eligible for an award?

Please select one item
Yes
No
Please explain your answer.
It is not a "decision" whether someone is on a low income, they either are or are not.

2. What is the best way for an LA to decide that a SWF applicant is on a low income? Please tick one.

Please select one item
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Other - please give details.
Please tell us why you have chosen this option and explain the advantages and disadvantages.
It would lead to more consistency of decision making and make use of "means tested" information already available.

3. What do you think the consequences would be if we limited crisis grant (CG) awards to three per household per year?

Probable increased hardship, potential increased homelessness and restrict Decision Makers from using judgement as to whether a CG is only means to avoid crisis or help in crisis situations.

4. What do you think the consequences would be if we limited community care grant (CCG) awards to three per household per year?

As above, plus all claims should be decided on the merits of the claim not on whether help has previously been granted (eg A fourth claim may be the most crucial)

5. Do you think that there should be a limit on the number of times that a CCG can be given for the same item in a set period?

Please select one item
Yes
No
If so, what should the limits be?
This depends on the item and the situation/circumstances of the claim.

6. Do you agree that families facing exceptional pressure should be given priority in decisions on CG applications as well as CCGs?

Please explain your answer.
This is difficult to agree to, it could be said most families on low incomes or in poverty face "exceptional pressure" but is it exceptional if most families are facing these pressures. Also would this discriminate against a vulnerable single person who may be coming out of long term care in terms of prioritising

7. Which sorts of payment do you think are a cash equivalent that LAs should be able to use to pay SWF grants. You can choose as many as you like:

Please select all that apply
Paypoint or alternative electronic transfer
Allpay (without restrictions) or other loaded store card
Fuel Cards
High Street vouchers accepted at a number of outlets e.g for clothing
Travel tickets, bought on behalf of the applicant.

8. How can LAs make sure that the way they are making the award ie in cash or by paying a cash equivalent, is the best one for the applicant?

By agreement

10. Do you agree with the draft statutory guidance on timescales for processing CGs. i.e. that:

Please select one item
Yes
No

10. Do you agree that substantial improvements to private property should be added to the list of excluded items at Annex A of the draft statutory guidance?

Please select one item
Yes
No

11. Do you agree that repatriation costs should be added to the list of excluded items at Annex A of the draft statutory guidance?

Please select one item
Yes
No

12. Do you think there should be any other items added to the list of excluded items in Annex A of the draft statutory guidance?

Please select one item
Yes
No

13. Do you think there should be any other items taken off the list of excluded items in Annex A of the draft statutory guidance?

Please select one item
Yes
No

14. Is there anything on the list of vulnerabilities at Annex C to the draft statutory guidance that you don’t think should be there?

Please select one item
Yes
No

15. Is there anything that you think should be added to the list of vulnerabilities at Annex C to the draft statutory guidance?

Please select one item
Yes
No

VIEWS ON DRAFT REGULATION

17. Do you think that the draft regulations will have the effects that we have listed at section 2 of the consultation paper?

Please select one item
Yes
No

VIEWS ON THE APPLICATION FORM

20. Should the application form for the permanent SWF be:

Please select one item
A combined CG and CCG application form
2 separate application forms