Independent Review Service  for the Social Fund   Commissioner's Advice   to Inspectors    Homepage   Publications and   Leaflets   Training and Support     Commissioner's Advice to Inspectors An important part of the Social Fund Commissioner's role, as set out in statute, is to give advice to Inspectors for the purpose of improving the standard of their decisions. Inspectors are expected to follow this advice, since it is issued with the specific purpose of improving the standard of their decisions. This web page provides a catalogue of all the Advice issued by the current Commissioner, Karamjit Singh CBE. It is designed for use by Social Fund practitioners. Click here for more information about the status of Commissioner's advice. Each piece of advice relates to a different aspect of Social Fund decision-making. The advice papers are split into catagories of: Community Care Grants Crisis Loans Budgeting Loans Decision Making (General) To find a particular piece of advice, identify the general category you want (e.g. Qualification) then look for the specific piece of advice that is relevant to you (e.g. Direction 4(a)(v)) and click on it. This catalogue contains the latest advice issued to Inspectors by the Social Fund Commissioner. This advice is under constant review and the IRS is aware that some minor updates are needed. Until new advice is published, please be aware of the following key changes: 1) when considering CCG eligibility, Income Related ESA is a qualifying benefit. 2) The amount to award for CCG's is discretionary, but the Secretary of State guidance changed on 20th October 2010, and suggests that to enable CCG budgets to meet a broader range of needs it may be appropriate for decision makers to award lowest amounts for items, based on national high street and catalogue prices. 3) Any reference to maximum permissible debt of £1000 to the Social Fund should instead be read as £1500. 4) When deciding how much to award as a budgeting loan, decision makers must follow the baseline figure as set by the Secretary of State. If you have any questions or feedback on the Commissioners Advice then please email info@irs-review.org.uk or you can telephone 0121 606 2222. The advice notes are available to download in Adobe PDF format. Please click on the link to open the publication in its own window. If you do not have Adobe PDF reader, it is available to download for free. Please click on the link at the bottom of the page to be taken to the Adobe website.   Community Care Grants Pre-qualification Jurisdiction Maternity Expenses Advice Notes Maternity Expenses Support Notes Repeat Applications Direction 7 (Previous Applications) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Previous Applications) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Relevant Change) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Relevant Change) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Same Expense For Items) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Same Expense For Items) Support Notes Eligibility Direction 25 Advice Notes Direction 25 Support Notes Exclusions Interpretation of Exclusions Advice Notes Interpretation of Exclusions Support Notes           Exclusions: Medical Items Advice Notes Exclusions: Medical Items Support Notes           Housing Costs: General Advice Notes Housing Costs: General Support Notes           Housing Costs: Minor Repair and Improvements Advice Notes Housing Costs: Minor Repair and Improvements Support Notes           Direction 29(b) Advice Notes   Direction 29(b) Support Notes           Daily Living Expenses - Direction 29 Exclusions Advice Notes   Qualification Direction 4 Direction 4(a)(i) Advice Notes Direction 4(a)(i) Support Notes           Direction 4(a)(ii) Advice Notes Direction 4(a)(ii) Support Notes           Direction 4(a)(iii) Advice Notes Direction 4(a)(iii) Support Notes           Direction 4(a)(v) Advice Notes Direction 4(a)(v) Support Notes Priority Principles of Determination Advice Notes Principles of Determination Support Notes Budgets Approach To Budgets Advice Notes Approach To Budgets Support Notes Jurisdiction Inspector's Jurisdiction to consider items or services not expressly requested in the original application Advice Notes Inspector's Jurisdiction to consider items or services not expressly requested in the original application Support Notes Award Amount of Award Amounts to Award: CCGs Advice Notes Amounts to Award: CCGs Support Notes Resources Capital Resources (CCG Cases) Advice Notes Capital Resources (CCG Cases) Support Notes         Income Resources (CCG Cases) Advice Notes   Income Resources (CCG Cases) Support Notes Methods of Payment Third Party Payments Advice Notes Third Party Payments Support Notes Consideration of a Crisis Loan Direction 49 Direction 49 Advice Notes Direction 49 Support Notes Post Decision Issues s38(5) Reviews s38(5) Reviews Advice Notes s38(5) Reviews Support Notes   Crisis Loans Pre-qualification Jurisdiction Maternity Expenses Advice Notes Maternity Expenses Support Notes Repeat Applications Direction 7 CL (Living Expenses) Advice Notes Direction 7 CL (Living Expenses) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Previous Applications) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Previous Applications) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Relevant Change) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Relevant Change) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Same Expense For Items) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Same Expense For Items) Support Notes           Eligibility Direction 14 Advice Notes Direction 14 Support Notes           Crisis Loans and Resources Advice Notes Crisis Loans and Resources Support Notes Exclusions Interpretation of Exclusions Advice Notes Interpretation of Exclusions Support Notes           Exclusions: Medical Items Advice Notes Exclusions: Medical Items Support Notes           Housing Costs: General Advice Notes Housing Costs: General Support Notes           Housing Costs: Minor Repair and Improvements Advice Notes Housing Costs: Minor Repair and Improvements Support Notes Qualification Crisis Loans and Resources Advice Notes Crisis Loans and Resources Support Notes Direction 3 Direction 3 - Emergency/Disaster Advice Notes Direction 3 - Emergency/Disaster Support Notes           Direction 3 - Only Means Advice Notes Direction 3 - Only Means Support Notes           Direction 3 - Serious Risk Advice Notes Direction 3 - Serious Risk Support Notes Priority Principles of Determination Advice Notes Principles of Determination Support Notes Budgets Approach To Budgets Advice Notes Approach To Budgets Support Notes Jurisdiction Inspector's Jurisdiction to consider items or services not expressly requested in the original application Advice Notes Inspector's Jurisdiction to consider items or services not expressly requested in the original application Support Notes Award Amount of Award Amounts to Award: CLs for Items Advice Notes Amounts to Award: CLs for Items Support Notes           Living Expenses Advice Notes Living Expenses Support Notes           Ability to Repay Advice Notes Ability to Repay Support Notes Methods of Payment Third Party Payments Advice Notes Third Party Payments Support Notes Consideration of a Community Care Grant Direction 49 Direction 49 Advice Notes Direction 49 Support Notes Post Decision Issues s38(5) Reviews s38(5) Reviews Advice Notes s38(5) Reviews Support Notes   Budgeting Loans Priority Determining Priority Advice Notes Budgets Approach To Budgets Advice Notes Approach To Budgets Support Notes Award Amount of Award Direction 53 - What to Award Advice Notes Direction 53 - What to Award Support Notes Resources Capital Resources (BL Cases) Advice Notes Capital Resources (BL Cases) Support Notes   Decision Making (General) Direction 1 to Inspectors Advice Notes Direction 1 to Inspectors Support Notes           Direction 2 to Inspectors Advice Notes No Support Notes           Direction 3 to Inspectors Advice Notes Direction 3 to Inspectors Support Notes           Direction 4 to Inspectors Advice Notes Direction 4 to Inspectors Support Notes           Direction 31 Advice Notes Direction 31 Support Notes           Evidence Advice Notes Evidence Support Notes           The Human Rights Act 1998 Advice Notes The Human Rights Act 1998 Support Notes PDF files can be downloaded and viewed by using Adobe Acrobat Reader. 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