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, Sir Richard Tilt. 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. 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 Item or Service) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Same Item or Service) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Table showing an example with details) 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) Advice 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 (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 Item or Service) Advice Notes Direction 7 (Same Item or Service) Support Notes           Direction 7 (Table showing an example with details) 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 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 Direction 2 to Inspectors 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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