Terms & Conditions

[jduffy]

Just wondering how LA’s treat smokers when looking at a claimants expenditure – have cases where if the claimant stopped smoking they could pay their shortfall – just wondering how people word the letter!

[Anonymous]

No general procedure – but we would look at the big picture. Someone spends £30 per week on fags thats up to him, but if he spends £30 on fags, £40 on eating out, another £30 on booze, £25 on gigs, plus sky, internet, two mobile phones etc… we might politely suggest that he review his overall expenditure and reduce his unnecessary outgoings…

[Anselmo]

I promise this is a serious point!!!

How about substituting the amount they declare for the equivalent in “roll-ups”. Much much cheaper. I’d say it’s reasonable to expect to expect someone applying for DHP to make such compromises. After all you’d raise an eyebrow if the amount for “food/groceries” was for caviar, champagne, smoked salmon, mineral water, 40 year-old single malt etc etc…..

[Anonymous]

In general, I would allow ONE of the items mentioned by MWigg (mobile, broadband, sky TV, fags/booze etc) and disallow the rest

[Hilly]

I don’t think in this day and age it’s fair to penalise someone for having a mobile, everyone’s got one as a matter of course and in many cases they’re cheaper than a landline, I do look at the amount and if it’s on contract or payg though.

[Anonymous]

[quote:abc551a0ce=”Hilly”]I don’t think in this day and age it’s fair to penalise someone for having a mobile, everyone’s got one as a matter of course and in many cases they’re cheaper than a landline, I do look at the amount and if it’s on contract or payg though.[/quote:abc551a0ce]

Agree 100 % it is also worth asking for contract statements. These often reveal non essential amounts. eg downloads of videos, ringtones & games etc

[Anonymous]

This will all come down to what is and what is not reasonable and it is very much a judgement call.
It probably depends on your personal point of view, but as long as each LA has a weel thought-out policy on how they will treat situations like this and apply it uniformly then there should be no chance of any allegation of bias.

Different LAs will grant DHPs for different things, as they will have different priorities according to the needs of their area.
So whats reasonable –
a mobile – well how many people can live without 1
satellite TV – person may be locked into a longish contract
fags – I couldn’t live and be reasonably bearable (although my colleagues would probably say I’m not anyway!!) without them

So, yer pays yer money, and yer takes yer choice….. as long as you do it consistantly. 8)

[Author]

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