[MargaretR]

In the days before the Social Fund, I was in charge of 'Single Payments' for several years at Melbourne House.
Single Payments could be claimed for household goods which were not considered covered by the weekly Income Support. (Prams and cots were such items.)
The amount awarded was based on local second hand prices.

If it was obvious that the system was being abused I could source, purchase and arrange delivery of an item. I did this once with a cooker for a woman who was asking for money for a cooker too often over a short spell of years.
That method of supplying was cumbersome and took more of my time and was only reasonable to do it in extreme cases.