Community Support Grants - Print version

The Community Support Grant was introduced to provide financial support to customers who are moving into a property with the essential household items needed to set up a home.

The scheme will consider applications to

• Help support customers who are leaving temporary, homeless, or hostel accommodation
• Ease exceptional pressure on people or families. Examples of exceptional pressure could include a breakdown of family relationships or disruption due to a major fire or flooding at home.
• Help people who are setting up home after leaving accommodation in which they received significant and substantial care and supervision (examples include leaving hospital or prison).
• Help people who are setting up home as part of a planned programme of resettlement (organised by someone like a Local Authority, voluntary organisation, housing association or registered charity)
• Help people who need help to stay in the community rather than enter accommodation to receive care (such as a residential care home or nursing home).

Eligibility criteria

To apply for a Community Support Grant, you must be:

• Able to meet one of the above criteria
• A resident of Coventry which includes the address you are moving to
• Receiving one of the following benefits:
  • Income Support
  • Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-Related Employment & Support Allowance
  • Universal Credit
  • Pension Credit

A Community Support Grant cannot provide support:

• If you are moving outside of the Coventry Local Authority area. The new Local Authority might provide support or operate a similar scheme. If you are unsure of which local authority your new address comes under, please visit Check your Council Tax band - GOV.UK [https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands] quoting your new postcode.
• If you are in a crisis and require immediate support with Food, Gas and/or Electricity.
• If your items are damaged, broken, or worn and you require financial support replacing these
• If you require support with flooring, curtains or any other items which are not listed on the application form or the essential items page [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/benefits-1/community-support-grants/2].

However, Support may be available through the Household Support Fund. You can contact them on 08085 834333 by selecting option 1 for Household Support Fund or visit Household Support Fund [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/householdsupportfund] for more information.

Essential items

What essential items can a Community Support Grant consider?

We have a set list of the essential household items we can consider under the scheme. When making an award we will review the customer's circumstances, which items have been provided within the tenancy, and which items are appropriate for the household size.

For example, a single person will be considered for a single bed, and will not be considered for a double bed. When considering seating we will order the appropriate seating for the household size. A couple would receive a 2-seater sofa and a single person would receive an armchair.

The scheme currently considers the following essential household items

• Gas or electric cooker (with installation)
• Washing machine (considered for households with children or where a medical condition is identified which would necessitate more than average laundry 
• Fridge freezer
• Seating (armchair, 2-seater sofa or 3-seater sofa depending on household size)
• Single bed (s) or double bed with mattress
• Bedding
• Cot and mattress.

This is a set list of the items the scheme can consider, and we are not able to consider any alternative items.

Please visit the "What happens when an award is made [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/benefits-1/community-support-grants/6]" page for more information about the suppliers we use and how we order the items on behalf of customers.

Apply for a Community Support Grant

Apply for a Support Grant

All applications are made online through our application form. Please ensure you provide as much information on the application as possible to prevent any further delays once your application is assigned to a decision maker. 

If you require support with completing the form, we do provide an over the phone application service. Please contact the team on 024 7683 3773 to access this service. 

The team is available by phone between: Monday - Friday 11am to 1pm.

Once you have spoken to an officer the call back request will be added to our queue and we will return the call as soon as possible. Timescales for providing over-the-phone support are based on the level of requests we have outstanding.

When the officer attempts to return the call if they are unsuccessful, they will leave a voicemail and issue a text message. A further call will be made at a later stage and if unsuccessful the call back request will be completed. 

In case of an out of hours emergency the Council's Emergency Duty Team can be contacted:

• If a child is at risk of abuse, harm or neglect, contact the out of hours Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 2222 or contact the Police on 0845 113 5000
• If an adult is at risk of abuse, harm or danger to themselves or others, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 2222   or contact the Police on 0845 113 5000
• If you are homeless, or think you are at risk of being homeless, call 024 7683 4025

Completing an application on behalf of a customer

If you are a support worker or a third party completing the application form on behalf of a customer, the customer must be present throughout this process and must be aware you are applying for a Community Support Grant on their behalf.

The Support worker or third party must complete the “Who is applying” and “Third Party Declaration” page.

Authority to Discuss

On the application form under the "Who is applying" page it will ask a question if the customer gives Authority to the Support worker or Third party to discuss their application on the customer's behalf.

They must confirm from the customer that Authority to Discuss has been given to allow them to discuss the application on their behalf. If we receive any form of contact from a support worker or third party, we will review the application form to ensure the customer's consent has been given. During the application process if the support worker or third party has provided an email address we will provide copies of the further information requests and outcome letters to ensure they can support the customer.

Authority to Act

In relation to the Authority to Act, we must have written confirmation that states the customer has given their authority for the Support worker or Third party to act on their behalf relating to the Community Support Grant Application. This must be signed and dated by the customer and can be uploaded onto the form, provided by email to the DGAteam@Coventry.gov.uk [mailto:DGAteam@Coventry.gov.uk] or by post. Please refer to the supporting evidence and How can I submit evidence [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/benefits-1/community-support-grants/5] page for more details on how to submit information.

Supporting evidence

Each application is assessed on an individual basis and depending on the reason for the claim we may require specific evidence.

For all applications, we will need a

• Copy of the tenancy agreement for the accommodation the customer is moving to which must include all pages including the gifted item(s) page.

Depending on the reason for the application we may require specific evidence to support the application.

This may include:

• Support plan or supporting letter from a support organisation or support worker.
• Evidence from the fire service or social landlord in the cases of a disaster such as a major fire or flood.
• Evidence from Social Services in cases where we are preventing someone from going into care

Evidence can be uploaded directly on the application form during the submission process otherwise please see below to understand how to submit evidence once the application form is submitted. 

How can I submit supporting evidence?

If you have any supporting evidence that you feel would help support the application, you can submit this by email or post.

Email

You can email a copy or photo of any supporting evidence to DGATeam@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:DGATeam@coventry.gov.uk] quoting your case reference in the subject.

Post

Otherwise, you can send a photocopy by post to Coventry City Council, PO Box 15, Council House, Coventry, CV1 5RQ Please ensure you state on the evidence it is for the Community Support Grant  Scheme and quote your case reference.

Due to the additional time taken when sending information by post please ensure you contact the team to advise this has been sent and we will make sure this is recorded on your application.

What happens when an award is made?

When an award is made the officer will notify you by letter, email and text to ensure all means of communication are used.

If a third party support worker is listed on the application with authority to discuss they will be notified of the decision by email. 

Awards are always in the form of goods, ordered directly from the provider by the council. Cash will not be awarded.

We currently use 2 main providers - AO and Amazon 

Order process for AO.com

The decision maker will then complete an order form to be issued to AO.com. This order form will include your name, new address, contact details and items to be delivered. This order form will be used for the following items if appropriate gas or electric cooker with installation, fridge/freezer and/or washing machine. AO.com will contact the customer directly to discuss the delivery and arrange a suitable delivery date.

We will be notified by AO if they cannot contact you and if they identify any barriers preventing the installation or delivery going ahead. If you are not available on the date of delivery you need to give AO 24 hours' notice on 01204 672 896. If the delivery fails due to no contact or no answer this may result in your award being withdrawn.

Order process for Amazon

The decision maker will then submit an order form to an officer to process the remaining items through Amazon. This order will enter a queue and will be processed in date received order. We are currently averaging a 1–2 week timescale for Amazon orders to be processed. This is excluding the time taken for delivery.

This order form will be used for the following items if appropriate: crockery, kettle, saucepan set, seating (armchair, 2-seater sofa, or 3-seater sofa), single bed or double bed, bedding, towels, cot and mattress, pushchair, highchair and bottle sterilisation pack.

Once the Amazon order has been processed the officer will notify you by text of the order details and delivery dates for each item. If a third party support worker is listed on the application with authority to discuss they will be notified of the decision by email.

If the items do not arrive within the dates provided or they arrive damaged or broken, please contact the DGA team before the deadline date which is provided in your notification text message. Please call 024 7683 3773 or email DGATeam@Coventry.gov.uk [mailto:DGATeam@Coventry.gov.uk]. If we receive queries relating to deliveries outside of the deadline date, we may be unable to resolve this. We recommend contacting us as soon as possible to prevent this from happening.

If the delivery fails due to no contact or unsuccessful delivery this may result in your award being withdrawn.

What can I do if I disagree with the decision?

If you disagree with the decision, you have the right to request a reconsideration which must be submitted in writing or by email. This must be made within one calendar month from the date of the decision or the date that is quoted on your decision letter.

Your reconsideration request must include:

• The case reference the reconsideration relates to
• The reason you disagree with this decision
• Any additional supporting evidence which was not submitted with the initial decision

Once we have received your reconsideration the case will be assigned to another officer who will review the case and they may contact you to discuss this in more detail or request further information.  

If a support worker or third party is requesting a reconsideration on behalf of a customer, they must have submitted an Authority to Act that relates to the Community support grant scheme and is signed and dated by the customer.

Community Support Grant Policy 2024/25

1. Purpose and principles

The purpose of this policy is to specify how Coventry City Council Benefits Service will operate the Community Support Grant (CSG) scheme and to outline the factors that will be considered when deciding if a CSG payment can be awarded.

The main purpose of the scheme will be to support vulnerable people experiencing financial difficulties. The award is intended to support a return to or allow a person to remain in the community.

It is delivered on a grant-based system and will not require customers to repay any award made to them.

Each case will be treated strictly on its merits and all customers will receive equal and fair treatment within a transparent process taking full account of the Council’s responsibilities under all relevant government legislation, for example the Human Rights Act and Equality Act 2010.

This scheme is not intended to replicate or take over the responsibility of statutory agencies.

The Benefits Service is committed to working with other Council departments, the local voluntary sector, registered social landlords and other stakeholders in the city to maximise entitlement to all available state benefits, charitable funds, and grants, this will be reflected in the administration of the CSG scheme.

Customers will be referred to other relevant departments if applicable, such as Housing, Adult Social Care or Children's Social Care. In addition, details of any other sources of funding will be provided to the applicant where appropriate.

2. Funding

Funding for the CSG scheme is part of the Local Government Settlement and is subject to local decisions as part of Annual Budget Setting.

3. Considerations for an award

• The scheme is purely discretionary; a customer does not have a statutory right to an award
• No cash awards will be made. Awards will be made by way of goods which will be ordered directly by the Council and delivered to the customer.
• The amount that can be paid out by the council in any financial year will be determined by the amount of funding agreed. Once the fund has been exhausted for the respective financial year, there will be no further awards.

4. Objectives of the scheme

• The Council will consider making a Community Support Grant to all customers who meet the qualifying criteria as specified within the scheme.
• The Service will treat all applications on their individual merits, and will seek through the operation of this policy to support vulnerable people and those in financial difficulty to resettle in the community.

5. Who can claim a Community Support Grant

A Community Support Grant (CSG) will be considered for vulnerable people in financial crisis, for a range of expenses including white goods and essential furniture. The award is intended to support a return to, or allow a person to remain in the community, or to ease exceptional pressure on families.

Customers will be referred to other relevant departments if applicable, such as Customer Services, Housing, Adult Social Care or Children's Services. In addition, details of any other sources of funding will be provided to the applicant where appropriate.

An applicant must be:

• A resident of Coventry. However, consideration will be given to those fleeing domestic violence or resettling to the City.
• A person in receipt of, or be expected to receive, Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Related Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit, or any type of Pension Credit

It must be established for all awards that the need cannot be met from another source. Savings will be considered as funds available to the customer to meet their immediate needs.

6. Eligibility Criteria

Applicants may receive a CSG if they are:

• receiving Universal Credit, Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Related Employment Support Allowance or any type of Pension Credit; and
• leaving accommodation in which they received support, care or supervision and supervision and expect to be discharged within 6 weeks and be expected to receive one of the benefits indicated above. Not only must the customer be leaving such an establishment, but also establishing themselves in the community. Both the time spent in the accommodation and the level of individual care and supervision provided will be taken into consideration when making a decision.

A CSG may also be made if this will help a customer to stay in the community rather than enter accommodation to receive care, support, or supervision. One of the factors considered is how immediate the likelihood is of going into such accommodation, and whether the item(s) requested would prevent this happening. Some examples are where a Community Support Grant may help to:

• improve an applicant's existing living conditions.
• enable them to move to accommodation which is more suitable.
• move nearer to someone who can offer them support.
• To help the applicant (or family member / carer) to set up home as part of a planned resettlement programme (following an unsettled way of life).

CSGs are intended primarily to help people live as independent a life as possible in Coventry. A CSG may be awarded to applicants who:

• have been living in the community in accommodation which does not provide a sufficient level of care or supervision.
• are being housed in permanent accommodation (or temporary accommodation which will lead to permanent accommodation) as a part of a programme of resettlement.

People who have been without a settled way of life may have been:

• using a night shelter
• staying in a hostel
• sleeping on the streets or in a makeshift shelter on the streets using an emergency winter shelter
• using a temporary supported lodging scheme
• staying in temporary accommodation provided by the Home Office pending a decision on their application for asylum in this country.
• using a combination of these

CSGs can help with costs to ease exceptional pressures for a customer, or/and their family. Some examples of situations that may give rise to exceptional pressure are:

• there is, or has been, a breakdown of relationships within the family,(including domestic violence)
• domestic upheaval because of unforeseen circumstances such as house fire, flooding or other disaster.

or

• To assist with travel expenses to visit a relative who is terminally ill or a relative's funeral or to visit a child who is living with another parent pending a court decision.

The above is not an exhaustive list.

5 How to apply

An application for a Support Grant can be made online via the Council's website. If you are not able to use the website, the team will be able to assist you making an application by telephone.

Application made by customer

For customers the following process will be followed:

• Customer completes and submits application form, either on-line or by phone
• When the application is received by the Benefit Service, it will be assessed. If the form is incomplete or further information is required, the team will call or write to the customer for the necessary information.
• Once all relevant information has been collected, the Benefits Service will aim to write to the customer with details of the decision and details of the review process within 14 days.
• If successful, goods will be awarded in line with the customer’s needs.

Application made by Service Provider

For service providers the following process will be followed:

• Customer contacts the service provider asking for assistance. Service providers complete their internal assessments and identifies that the customer may be eligible for Community Support Grant.
• Service provider supports customer to complete the Community Support Grant application and submits this to Coventry City Council's Benefits Service.
• When the application is received by the Benefits Service it will be assessed. If the form is incomplete or further supporting evidence is required, the team will call or write to the service provider or the customer for the necessary information.
• Once all relevant information has been collected, the Benefits Service will aim to write to the customer with details of the decision and details of the review process within 14 days.
• If successful, goods will be awarded in line with the customer’s needs.

7. Supporting Information

• The Benefits Service may request any reasonable evidence in support of an application for a CSG. In order to speed up the process we will in the first instance request this information by phone.
• The customer will be asked to provide the evidence within 5 working days of a request being made although this will be extended in appropriate circumstances.
• The Benefits Service reserves the right to verify any information or evidence provided by the customer in appropriate circumstances. Any such request will be essential to the decision-making process. If information is sourced from a support worker either 6 the evidence will be scanned in or notes made against the customer’s record for transparency purposes.
• If the customer is unable to or does not provide the required evidence, the Benefits Service will make its decision based on the information available.
• The Benefits Service will seek to maximise the customer’s income by checking the availability of state benefits and other sources of financial assistance that may be available to the customer upon application.
• Information provided will be used to process applications for Community Support Grants and this information may be shared with other council departments in order to check information, protect public funds and to identify any other help the applicant may be entitled to. • The information provided may be shared with other organisations that handle public funds and for cross system and cross authority comparison for the detection and prevention of crime as allowed by law.

8. Items included in the scheme that may be awarded

When deciding what items to award, consideration will be given to the customer's circumstances and household size. Items included in the below list may be awarded:

• Sofa
• Armchair
• Bed(s)
• Cot(s)
• Mattresses
• Bedding
• Cooker
• Fridge Freezer
• Washing Machine – in households with children, or where a medical condition is identified.

9. Award values

Each case will be assessed on individual circumstances, and items awarded will be based on need. Delivery and installation costs will be included.

10. Deciding a Community Support Grant

The Benefit Service will consider the full circumstances before deciding whether to award a CSG. In deciding whether to award a CSG, the following will be considered:

• The circumstances of the customer and their household, such as financial, medical, and social. For example:
  • If the award would prevent homelessness
  • If the customer is a care leaver
  • If the customer is fleeing domestic abuse
  • If the customer is an ex-offender looking to resettle in the community
• The income and expenditure of the customer and their household will be considered when deciding an award. For example:
  • Any income, savings and investments held by the customer and their household which could be used to help their financial situation,
  • Whether other family members external to the household help in any way
  • Whether the customer and their household could reduce expenditure on non-essential items,
  • Whether the customer and their household are entitled to other welfare benefits but are not claiming them.

11. Method of award

• The Benefits Service will award a CSG by the direct ordering of goods.
• Items will be delivered to the property address on the date specified.
• No alternative cash payment will be made.

12. Notification

If a customer's application is unsuccessful, the Benefits Service will set out the reasons why this decision was made and explain the right of review. Notifications will include details of where a claimant may seek further assistance.

Where the application is successful, the Benefits Section will advise:

• What has been awarded,
• How, when and to whom the goods will be delivered,
• The right to request a review and how further assistance can be obtained.

13. Reviews

A customer (or their appointee or agent) can ask for a reconsideration of a decision if they can demonstrate there has been:

• a factual error based on the decision made or
• an oversight on a significant piece of evidence or
• where new evidence has come to light which was not provided with the original application.

In these circumstances, the customer must provide the relevant details to the Council within one calendar month of the CSG decision being issued to the customer.

• When a request is made, the Council will conduct a review of the decision and contact the customer in writing within 10 working days of the review request being received to advise whether the decision will be amended, and if so, details of the award. All reviews will be considered by another officer not involved in the original decision.
• If the customer remains dissatisfied, the customer has the right to register a formal complaint through the Council's Complaint Procedure or to contact the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate a claim of maladministration.

14. Monitoring arrangements and managing the Community Support Grant fund

The Benefits Service will undertake monitoring of the number, amount and period of CSG awards in relation to the available CSG budget. The purpose is to ensure there are sufficient funds to meet demands on the CSG budget throughout the financial year. Once the fund has been exhausted for the respective financial year, there will be no further awards.

The Benefits Service will also monitor cases where a CSG request has been refused to ensure decisions are being made fairly and consistently.

The Council is subject to the general equality duty. This means that steps will be taken to monitor implementation of this policy to ensure no one is subject to disproportionate adverse treatment because they had a protected characteristic.

15. Publicity

The Community Support Grant Scheme will be publicised on the Council’s website and the Benefit Service will ensure that all relevant stakeholders and partnership organisations are aware of the scheme.

16. Fraud and Error

Coventry City Council is committed to identification and prevention of fraud and error. Where it is alleged, or considered an application may have been made fraudulently, the matter will be investigated and if fraud is found to have occurred, action will be taken including criminal proceedings where relevant.

17. Accessibility

Hard copies or alternative versions of any document can be made available where necessary to meet an individual’s needs. Please contact Coventry City Council, Council House, Earl Street, Coventry, CV1 5RR or telephone the Council directly on 0500 834 333

18. Contacting us in an emergency

If our telephone lines are closed an out of hours emergency the Council's Emergency Duty Team can be contacted:

• If a child is at risk of abuse, harm or neglect, contact the out of hours Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 3800 or contact the Police on 0845 113 5000
• If an adult is at risk of abuse, harm or danger to themselves or others, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 024 7683 3800 or contact the Police on 0845 113 5000
• If you are homeless or think you are at risk of being homeless call 0500 834333