Housing Benefit Service UpdateNWLA

December 2014

Welfare Reform in 2014/15

• Benefits Service Performance–Benefit Caseload–New Claims & Changes

• Welfare Reform–Under Occupancy–Local Council Tax Support–Universal Credit

• Anti-Poverty–DHP’s–LWP–Expansion of Credit Union & High Street Offer–Continued investment over next 3 years

Service Performance

Benefits Caseload

New Claims & Changes Performance

Welfare Reform

Under-Occupancy

• Continues to create controversy

• DHP’s continue to plug the gaps – waiting for funding figure for 15/16 but expecting it to be similar to this year

• Recent article in BEN paper regarding the DHP calculation – like many GM LA’s we include DLA in calculation

• No sign of changes in Government Policy at the moment – although it was muted that protection was being considered for some groups

Local Council Tax Support in 2014/15

•Number if things to remember:

– No backdating so essential customers claim at the right time– There is a Council Tax Reduction Scheme (DHP’s for LCTS) but take-

up is very low– Will sit outside of Universal Credit

•The scheme will be reviewed annually and at the moment is heavily subsidised by Bolton Council

•£3M reduction in funding but at the moment less than £400K of this has been passed onto customers

•Likely to change in 2016/17

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Universal Credit - it’s all about work

• Universal Credit aims to reward work. No 16 hour rule and no limits on the number of hours someone can work. UC payment only reduces gradually as their take home pay increases so claimants won’t lose all their benefits at once if they are on a low income.

• Universal Credit will encourage a new type of relationship with claimants. Work Coaches will help claimants to become more independent by supporting them in their worksearch activities. They will help claimants plan and focus their jobsearch as well as set them actions that give them the best chance of finding work.

• Universal Credit aims to support jobseekers through the Claimant Commitment to raise their expectations of what they can achieve, and to encourage responsibility. Those who are fit and ready for work will be expected to look for a job on a full time basis dependent on circumstances.

• Universal Credit claimants are expected to use Universal Jobmatch, an intelligent job matching service that helps employers to get the best fit for the jobs that they have on offer.

Universal Credit

• Across the North West for couples and single claimants without children starting in June 2014

• Many challenges including

–Technology – still no ICT–Direct Payments (Alternative Payments) - delays–Administration – processing times delays–Communication to customers

• Further roll-out to families in November 2014 – Merseyside

• National roll-out to couples and single claimants without children in February 2015

Ant-Poverty

Discretionary Housing Payments

– £680K to spend in 14/15– Still looking to launch an online claim– Committed £430K as at end of November 2014– Will be pushing to spend all funding by end of March 2015

Local Welfare Provision in 2014/15 & 15/16

• £1M to spend in this area in 2014/15

• No Government funding in 2015/16 – replied to consultation but looking unlikely that funding will be provided

• Proposed £750K for 2015/16 – still a reasonable amount to provide service

• Likely we will cap the value of furniture packages

• Want to try and grow the Hoot loans but number of customers declining at the moment

How we spend LWP

Credit Union and High Street Offer

• Major investment in 2015/16

• Expansion of Credit - transactional bank

• High Street Offer – former Millets store

• Store will be supported by Age UK and Credit Union – office space occupied by Salvation army

• Complex offer so challenge around marketing – keen to work with partners to promote

Continued investment & partnership working

• Investment in Credit Union

• CAB providing resource to Money Skills

• Bolton At Home providing resource to Money Skills

• Additional resource in Welfare Rights

• Continued investment in LWP

• 3 Year commitment to Anti-Poverty from Members