anyone know about exceptional needs payments

I was recently approved for one to help furnish a council house and wondering are the cheque is issued to the applicant or to the shop that the quotes came from. Just wondering would i be able to use it to buy elsewhere (shops that i got quotes from orignally have now raised prices and my quote isnt worth the paper it's written on) that would be better value and mean i can actually get nearly everything i need? thanks in advance to anyone that can help!!
(also sorry if i sound ungrateful about what i got but the shops price rise mean only 2 rooms would get furnished and a cooker or a fridge so would loveto shop around a bit to get best value out of it if i can!)

The process may vary depending on which HSE area you're dealing with.

Generally, if you've been asked to pay a deposit on any items and to produce a receipt for same to the CWO, payment is likely to be made out to that shop.

If you were only asked for quotations, the payment may be made to yourself to allow you to get the best value from the amount granted. The best person to ask is the CWO themselves!