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Special Needs Grant : Contents

Attending a budgeting advice service

A client or their partner may need to attend a budgeting advice service if they have a budgeting activity obligation.

Budget advice services involve a client working with a budgeting advisor on an individual basis.

A client can self-refer to budgeting advice services at any time.

Attending a budgeting advice service may help clients who:

  • have difficulty with numeracy and literacy
  • speak English as a second language
  • have previously completed a budgeting worksheet and attended a budgeting seminar or course
  • have an ongoing deficiency in their weekly income

Acceptable budgeting advice service

Clients should be referred to the budgeting advice services that are most likely to help given their individual circumstances and needs.

Budgeting advice should be provided by a reputable and independent budgeting service.

Budgeting advice requirements

Clients will often attend budgeting advice services on an ongoing basis.

Clients can be considered to be completing their budgeting activity if they can show that they have seen their budgeting advisor at least once since their last grant date, or that they are following a current budgeting advice programme or individual plan.

For more information see:

Legislation

A grant date is a single day on which a client is paid one or more Special Needs Grants, Advance Payments of Benefit, or Recoverable Assistance Payments (excluding payments in specific circumstances and payments for driver licences).

The number of grant dates is based on the number of dates in the previous 12 months (from 27 September 2010) when a client received payments, e.g. if a client is applying for assistance ...