Bromley Welfare Fund policy

1. Introduction

The Welfare Fund has been set up to assist the most vulnerable and financially excluded residents to either remain or to establish themselves in the community by providing essential items. As the fund is limited, there are strict criteria about how and to whom assistance will be offered.

The purpose of this policy is to detail Bromley Council's high level objectives in respect of Bromley Welfare Fund (BWF) and detail how the council operates the scheme, including the factors that will be taken into account when considering if a BWF award can be made. Each case will be treated strictly on its merits and all applicants will be treated equally and fairly.

The Welfare Fund will assist successful applicants moving into settled accommodation by providing household items that are essential for basic living, health, safety or sanitation to enable a client become established in their new home. It will not make monetary payments directly to the applicant.

2. Statement of Objectives

All applications will be treated on their individual merits based on the information and supporting evidence provided in conjunction with consideration of the current pressures on the available funds. This may mean that not all applications can be agreed.

A BWF award will usually be an urgent, one off provision to enable a client to become established in their new home.

The fund will be used with the intention of:

Preventing serious risk to the health, well-being or safety of the Bromley's most vulnerable and financially excluded residents;
Easing severe financial pressure caused by starting a new tenancy;
Helping those, without alternative means, to either establish themselves in the community as a transition from care or prison or to remain in their community.

3. Policy

3.1. Main Features of the Scheme

The main features of the Bromley Welfare Fund are that:

It is not a statutory requirement for Bromley Council to provide this fund. As such, Bromley Council may choose to vary the way in which this funding is used according to community needs and available funds;
An applicant does not have a statutory right to an award. All awards are discretionary.
The total expenditure in any one year resulting from awards under this scheme will not exceed the value of the funding available.
Although there is not a statutory right of appeal, Bromley Council have elected to operate an internal review procedure for appeals;
Applications cannot be made by the person requiring the items themselves but by their advocates/applicant. See section 3.3, point 1.

3.2. Eligibility Criteria

An application will only be considered where the applicant requires essential assistance to either remain or establish themselves in the community and satisfies all of the following criteria:

Must be aged 16 or over.
Must have been resident in the London Borough of Bromley for at least 6 months or have been housed as a result of a duty owed by Bromley Council.
Must have lived in their current property for no more than 6 weeks at the time of application.
Must not have additional income/savings that can be relied upon to meet the need to which they are presenting.
Must not be excluded from applying for public funds on the basis of immigration status.
Must not have applied for a BWF award in the past 12 months.
Must not have applied for items you have previously been awarded.
Must be without sufficient resources which would in turn cause serious risk to their own, or their family’s health or safety or well-being.
Must not be eligible to receive or have received assistance for the requested funding or loans from other public funds.
Must be in receipt of one of the following; Universal Credit, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Housing Benefit.
Must not be requesting a replacement item.

There is no guarantee that meeting these criteria will result in an award from the Bromley Welfare Fund as each application will be treated on their individual merits.

3.3. Applications

An application for a BWF award must be made via a referral from a Landlord, Support and Resettlement Officer, Housing Officer, Support Officer or Care Manager using the online application form on the London Borough Bromley website.
Applications from people not meeting the minimum eligibility criteria will not be considered.
It is the applicants responsibility to ensure that the correct items are requested at the time of completing the Welfare Fund application, additional items cannot be added at a later date.

3.4. Supporting Evidence

It is the responsibility of the applicant to collate and provide evidence in support of the application on behalf of their client. Failure to do so will result in a delay with the application being assessed and a decision could be made in the absence of supporting information which could result in requested items not being awarded.
Evidence should be provided electronically via secure e-mail, or in person at the Civic Centre or by recorded delivery to Welfare Fund, Housing Needs Team, 2nd Floor North Block, Stockwell Close, Bromley, Kent, BR1 3UH.
The following evidence should be provided for the intended recipient of the items:
- Proof of income, including benefit entitlement.
- Proof that the applicant has pursued other available options:
1. e-mails to charities, budgeting loans etc.
2. proof of the date the tenancy started.
3. proof of residency in the borough for the previous 6 months.
4. proof of income and expenditure for all members of the household.
We may request any other reasonable evidence in support of an application for BWF award. The referrer will be asked to provide the evidence and it must be provided within two weeks of the request although this will be extended in appropriate circumstances.
We reserve the right to verify any information or evidence that the applicant supplies, in appropriate circumstances, with other council departments, government agencies and external organisations or individuals. We may also use the information for the detection/prevention of fraud.
If the applicant is unable to or does not provide the required evidence on behalf of their client, in the agreed time, we may treat the application as withdrawn by the applicant and we will not be under an obligation to assess it.
In applying this policy, the decision maker will take into account any alternative funding provision including but not limited to, Discretionary Housing Payment, Disability Care Allowance, Personal Independence Payment.

3.5. Assessing an Application

We aim to have assessed an application and, where successful, provided the awarded items to the applicant within two weeks of receiving the application for items.

In deciding whether to make a BWF award we will give regard to the client's circumstances including:

any sources of credit such as cash cards, store cards, credit cards, cheque cards, cheque accounts, overdraft facilities, loan arrangements.
any existing benefit payments which could be used to purchase the requested items (e.g. Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments).
the income and expenditure of all occupiers of the household.
the level of indebtedness of all occupiers of the household.
any medical issues, or other exceptional needs, of all occupiers of the household.
whether the circumstances of the client are such that a BWF award would alleviate the problem for the client.

We will also consider the following factors when assessing an application:

the possible impact on the council of not making such an award, e.g. the client becoming homeless and the costs associated with this.
other existing or possible future pressures on the available fund.
any other special circumstance of which we become aware of during the application process.

The possible outcome of an application is to award fully, partially or not at all.

3.6. Successful Awards

The Bromley Welfare Fund will only award goods and make payments directly to the supplier. We will never make payment directly to the applicant/client and will not reimburse for any goods the applicant chooses to purchase themselves.

The items that the BWF usually awards are: Beds*, Mattresses*, Cooker, Fridge Freezer.

*A single person will only be considered for a single bed and single mattress.

Other items or services may be considered at the council’s sole discretion, if they are deemed essential to assist a family experiencing exceptional pressure to establish or maintain a home in the community.

3.7. Notification

We will notify the applicant of the outcome of their request on the day the decision is made. This may be by letter, email, SMS (text) or a combination of these methods.

Where the request for a BWF award is unsuccessful or not met in full we will explain the reasons why the decision was made, and explain the applicant’s right of appeal.

We may, with the client’s permission, also inform a support worker or advice agency of a decision.

3.8. Delivery and Installation of Goods

It is the applicant’s and client's responsibility to ensure that they, or someone else on their behalf, are available at the property to accept the delivery at the pre-arranged time and date. If delivery is unable to take place as there is no one available to grant access to the property, the items will not be re-delivered.

It is the applicant’s or client's responsibility to ensure that the correct items are ordered and checked immediately upon receipt of delivery. If the item needs to be returned as the wrong item was ordered (i.e. the wrong sized item or the wrong type of cooker), it will not be possible to exchange/replace the item.

If the wrong type of cooker (gas or electric) is ordered and installation is unable to take place, it will become the client's responsibility to arrange for their own installation, we will not exchange/replace the item.

3.9. Responsibility for Awarded Items

Once an application has been assessed and goods have been provided in a satisfactory condition, Bromley Council does not have any responsibility to maintain, replace, dispose of or service the awarded items.

If the items become lost or damaged they will not be replaced by the BWF.

If the client subsequently moves to another property, BWF will not assist with removal or refitting of any previously awarded items.

3.10. Right to Appeal

BWF awards are not subject to a statutory appeals process. Appeals will therefore be decided by the council.

We will operate the following policy for dealing with appeals about either the decision not to make an award or what items are awarded:

An applicant/client who wants an explanation of a BWF application decision may request one in writing within 21 days of notification of the decision and we will explain how the decision was made.
An applicant/client who disagrees with a decision may appeal the decision within 21 days of the BWF decision being notified to the applicant.
Appeals or requests for an explanation can be made by the applicant or a representative, providing they have permission to act on the client’s behalf and must be made in writing or electronically.
The officer reviewing the decision will not have been involved in the making of the original decision.
The reviewer may request further information and the applicant/client will have 21 days to respond. If the information is not provided in this timescale the review will be undertaken on the information held.
The reviewer will provide a written or electronic response to the applicant or their client. The review decision is final and there is no further right to review.

3.11. Fraudulent Applications

The council is committed to the fight against fraud in all its forms. Any applicant who tries to fraudulently claim a BWF award might have committed an offence under the Fraud Act 2006.

If we suspect that fraud may have occurred, the matter will be investigated as appropriate and this could lead to criminal proceedings.

In the event that it comes to the council's attention that an award has been made as a result of misleading information, deception or fraud the council will seek repayment of the monetary value of the grant from the recipient.

The council may take action to recover the sum through the appropriate legal processes and in accordance with its Fair Debt Collection Policy. Punitive action may also be undertaken in accordance with the council’s Anti-Fraud Strategy.

Where it comes to the council’s attention that the applicant/client has received a grant, payment or loan from another source for the same purpose as that for which a grant has been awarded under this Policy, the council may seek repayment of the monetary value of the award.

Where it comes to the council’s attention that the client has sold an item for which a grant was provided (except where the item can reasonably be expected to be at the end of its useful life) the council may seek repayment of the monetary value of the grant.

3.12. Publicity

We will publicise the scheme and provide information to relevant agencies, stakeholders and other council services.

3.13. Definitions

Family/Families - A family shall normally be considered to be individuals or couples with a dependent child or children, or a woman who is over 24 weeks pregnant.

Child - A child is a person under the age of 18 years.

Occupiers of the household/ household members - Anyone who resides within the house.

Exceptional Pressures - Exceptional Pressures are considered to be acute needs arising from circumstances that may be eased by provision of essential items. Exceptional pressures may include acute domestic difficulties for example, the breakdown of a relationship (especially where domestic violence is involved) or the onset of, or deterioration in, a disability of a member of the family. Exceptional pressures may also arise from unforeseen calamities or natural disasters for example; a house fire or a natural disaster such as flooding.