any capital held by a person and/or her/his partner below £500, or £1,000 if the person or partner is aged 60 or over, will not affect the amount of payment awarded;

if a person and/or partner has capital of more than £500, or £1,000 if aged 60 or over, the payment is reduced by the amount of any capital over £500 or £1,000 if aged 60 or over.

any capital held by a person and/or her/his partner below £1,000 (£2,000 if over 60) will not affect the Budgeting Loan award.

Income Support;

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA(IB));

Child Tax Credit (CTC) at a rate higher than the family element, ie more than approximately £10.50 per week, or where there is a child under one year £21.00);

Working Tax Credit (WTC) which includes the disability or severe disability element;

Pension Credit (PC).

eleven weeks before the first day of the expected week of confinement. The claim form must be signed by a health professional, such as a general practitioner, midwife or health visitor, confirming that advice on maternal health and welfare has been received; or

up to three months after the date of confinement.  The claim form must be signed by a health professional such as a general practitioner, midwife or health visitor confirming that advice on child health and welfare matters has been received.

is not getting a qualifying benefit; and

has made a claim for the qualifying benefit no later than ten days after the original claim for Sure Start Maternity Grant; and

is subsequently awarded the qualifying benefit; and

makes a second claim within three months of this award;

for an adopted baby or child under a residence order providing s/he is no older than twelve months at the date of claim;

where a couple have been granted a parental order allowing them to have a child by a surrogate mother.

s/he has been awarded one of the following qualifying benefits:

	Income Support;
	JSA(IB);
	Housing Benefit;
	CTC at a rate higher than the family element, ie more than approximately £10.50 per week, or where there is a child under one year £21.00);
	WTC which includes the disability or severe disability element;
	PC; and

the funeral takes place in:

	the United Kingdom (UK) or in the Republic of Ireland providing the deceased normally lived in Northern Ireland and had been resident in the UK at the date of death; or
	a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland and the responsible person is an EEA national (or family member of an EEA national) who is, under specific European Community law, either treated as a worker or entitled to reside permanently in the UK; and

the deceased person was ordinarily resident in the UK at the date of death (this does not necessarily mean s/he died in the UK); and

s/he claims anytime from the date of death up to three months after the date of the funeral; and

s/he accepts responsibility for the funeral; and

	is the partner of the deceased; or
	in the case of a child or qualifying young person, is the person responsible for the child or qualifying young person unless there is an absent parent who is not in receipt of a qualifying benefit, or in the case of a still born child is the parent or the parent’s partner; or
	is an immediate family member (ie parent, son, daughter);  or
	where there is no partner or immediate family member, s/he is either:

         (a) a close relative of the deceased; or

         (b) a close friend of the deceased; and

it is deemed reasonable for that person to accept responsibility for the funeral expenses.

under eighteen years of age; or

aged eighteen or nineteen and treated as a qualifying young person for the purposes of child benefit;

awarded a qualifying benefit (or partner was awarded a qualifying benefit); or

estranged from the deceased; or

a wholly maintained member of a religious order; or

a full-time student; or

a prisoner or hospital in-patient receiving free treatment and s/he (or partner) had been in receipt of a qualifying benefit immediately before s/he entered prison or hospital; or

ordinarily resident outside the UK; or

receiving asylum support.

where there are one or more close relatives, the nature and extent of the contact each had with the deceased;

where the contact of one or more close relatives is equal to or closer than that of a person claiming and one of those close relatives is not in receipt of a qualifying benefit, then it will be deemed that it is not reasonable for the person claiming to take responsibility for the funeral.

no partner; and

no immediate family member; and

no close relative who had greater or equal contact with the deceased than the close friend.

in the case of burial the necessary cost of:

	purchasing a new burial plot, including exclusive right of burial;
	burial (including fees levied by private contractors);

in the case of cremation the necessary cost of:

	cremation including medical references;
	a registered medical practitioner's certificate;
	removal of pacemakers (limited to £20 if not removed by a doctor);

the cost of documents necessary for the release of the deceased person's assets eg death certificate;

reasonable travel costs of one return journey within the UK or where the funeral takes place in the Republic of Ireland, return journey to the Republic of Ireland in connection with arrangements or attendance at the funeral;

the reasonable cost of transport in excess of 50 miles to transport the:

	deceased to the funeral director’s premises or place of rest;
	coffin and bearers and one additional vehicle from the funeral director’s premises or place of rest to the funeral;

up to £700 for any other funeral expenses including funeral director's fees, undertaker fees and gratuities, chaplain and organist's fees;

up to £120 of funeral expenses in the above categories not covered, or contributed to, by a pre-paid funeral plan or similar arrangement.

the value of the deceased person’s assets if they are available to the person claiming without having to go through legal procedures;

any payment under insurance policies, occupational schemes, burial club or similar arrangement;

payments from a relative or a charity;

any War Disablement Pensioners Funeral Grant payment.

on Income Support or JSA(IB) for at least one day during the cold weather; and

	receiving any of the pensioner premiums, or the disability or severe disability premiums or the disabled child premium; or
	claiming for a child under five years of age; or
	receiving the disability element or severe disability element of CTC; or

receiving PC for at least one day during the cold weather.

aged 60 or over; and

ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland.

has been receiving free in-patient treatment for more than 52 weeks in a hospital or similar institution; or

is detained in custody under sentence from a court; or

is receiving PC or JSA(IB) and living in residential care throughout the qualifying week and the twelve preceding weeks; or

subject to immigration control and not eligible for social security benefits.

£300 if over 80 in the qualifying week; or

£200 if under 80 in the qualifying week; or

£100 (or £150 if over 80) if not entitled to PC or JSA(IB) and living with or sharing a household with someone who also qualifies; or

£100 (or £150 if over 80) if not entitled to PC or JSA(IB) and living in residential care throughout the qualifying week and the twelve preceding weeks.

is budget limited;

provides no legal right of entitlement to payments;

has the majority of its budget allocated to loans;

carries the right of entitlement to an internal review but not to an independent appeal.

the nature, extent and urgency of need (Crisis Loans and CCGs); or

a person's personal circumstances (Budgeting Loans only); and

the existence of resources from which the need may be met; and

a person's ability to repay (loans only); and

whether there are other ways of meeting the need; and

the money available in local office budgets; and

directions and guidance issued by the Department; and

guidance issued by the area decision maker.

in receipt of Income Support, JSA(IB) or PC on the date s/he claims the CCG; or

less than six weeks away from discharge from residential accommodation and is likely to get Income Support, JSA(IB) or PC when discharged.

high priority should normally be given if an award will have a substantial and immediate effect  in resolving or improving the circumstances of the person applying and be very important in fulfilling the aims of Direction 4;

medium priority should normally be given if an award will have a noticeable effect, although not substantial and immediate in resolving or improving the circumstances of the person applying, and meeting  the aims of Direction 4;

low priority should normally be given if an award for the item requested will have only a minor effect in resolving or improving the circumstances of the person applying or in meeting the aims of Direction 4.

A person’s ability to cope with independent living may be difficult because of:

	restricted mobility;
	learning difficulties;
	mental health problems;
	physical disability;
	mental or chronic physical illness.

Experiences of physical or social abuse or neglect may leave a person especially vulnerable and lacking in confidence, for example young people from broken homes or who have never had a home.

Returning to the community after a long period of residential or institutional care may leave a person very insecure and vulnerable particularly if s/he is setting up a new home on her/his own.

A long period of sleeping rough may leave a person with little or no concept of how to live a settled way of life or cope with problems of budgeting on a low income.

Unstable family circumstances may put the well-being of children at risk and increase the chances that they may have to be taken into care, for example a parent behaves irrationally or relationships within the family are at breaking point.

Behaviour problems associated with drug or alcohol abuse are likely to add to difficulties of a vulnerable person trying to live independently and increase the need for a stable environment.

clothing and footwear;

removal expenses;

fares when moving home;

connection charges;

storage charges for furniture;

furniture and household equipment;

minor structural repairs and maintenance costs;

internal redecoration and refurbishment;

bedding or extra warmth for the household;

fuel connection costs;

re-siting of fuel board pre-payment meters;

heavy laundry needs;

boarding out fees prior to adoption;

overnight accommodation as part of a travel expenses payment.

any need which occurs outside the UK ;

an educational or training need including clothing and tools;

distinctive school uniform or sports clothes or equipment;

travelling expenses to or from school;

school meals and meals taken during school holidays by children who are entitled to free school meals;

expenses in connection with court (legal) proceedings (including a community service order) such as legal fees, court fees, fines, costs, damages, subsistence or travelling expenses;

removal or storage charges where a person is permanently rehoused following the imposition of a compulsory purchase order, or a redevelopment or closing order, or a compulsory exchange of tenancies, or pursuant to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's (NIHE) statutory duty to the homeless under the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988;

domestic assistance and respite care;

any repair to NIHE or registered housing association property;

a medical, surgical, optical, aural or dental item or service;

work related expenses;

debts to government departments;

investments;

costs associated with home or personal security measures other than locks, bolts, chains and door viewers for outside doors and windows;

council tax, water charges, arrears of community charge or community water charges;

installation, purchase, rental and call charges for a telephone;

any expenses which NIHE, a health and social services board (HSSB) or a health and social services trust (HSST) has a statutory duty to meet;

costs of fuel consumption and any associated standing charge;

housing costs, including repairs and improvements to the dwelling occupied as the home including any garage, garden and outbuildings and including deposits to secure accommodation, mortgage payments, rates, water rates, sewerage rates, service charges, rent, and all other charges for accommodation, whether or not such charges include payment for meals and/or services other than:

	minor repairs and improvements;
	overnight accommodation as part of travel expenses payment;

any daily living expenses such as food and groceries, except where:

	such expenses are incurred in caring for a prisoner or young offender on release on  temporary licence;  or
	a Crisis Loan cannot be awarded because the person has reached the loan limit of £1,500.

the previous application was withdrawn before a decision was made; or

a previous offer was declined or not responded to; or

the Department decided the previous application was incomplete.

assist the person, a member of her/his family or other person for whom s/he will be providing care to re-establish her/himself in the community following a stay in institutional or residential care; or

help the person, a member of her/his family or other person for whom s/he is providing care remain in the community rather than go into institutional or residential care; or

help the person set up home in the community as part of a planned resettlement programme following a period during which s/he has been without a settled way of life; or

ease exceptional pressures on the person and her/his family; or

help the person or her/his partner to care for a prisoner or young offender on home leave; or

assist the person and/or members of her/his family with travel expenses in the UK in certain circumstances set out in 3.1.13.

hospitals;

residential care homes;

nursing homes;

homes and hostels;

supported lodgings, eg landlady schemes used by HSSTs, HSSBs or voluntary organisations as part of a programme of rehabilitation;

staff intensive sheltered housing providing a major level of personal care;

prison;

young offenders centres;

training schools;

HSSB/HSST care; and;

special residential schools:

foster care.

a frail, elderly person, particularly with restricted mobility or who has difficulty in performing personal care tasks;

a person with learning difficulties;

a person with mental health problems;

a person with physical or sensory impairment;

a chronically sick person;

a terminally ill person;

a person who has misused alcohol, drugs or other substances;

an ex-offender;

a person without a settled way of life;

a young person leaving HSSB/HSST care or a special residential school.

the threat of entering care is immediate or imminent; and/or

there is a direct link between the need for care and the items requested.

improve a person's existing living conditions; or

enable a person to move to more suitable accommodation; or

enable a person to move nearer someone who can offer support.

spends the leave with a person in receipt of Income Support, JSA(IB) or PC; and