Transcript Steve Dubbins, Macmillan Cancer Support

Overcoming Barriers
to Financial Support
Steve Dubbins
Benefits Advice Programme Manager
Barriers to take-up
• Lack of awareness about potential entitlements
• Complexity of the benefits and tax credit systems
• Poor benefit administration, particularly decision making,
resulting in wrongly refused claims
• Lack of support available with benefit checks, claims and
appeals
• Stigma attached to claiming
Consequences...
• DWP estimate up to £11 billion in means-tested benefits
went unclaimed in 2009/2010
• This does not include DLA and AA – which have take-up
rates of approximately 55% and 65%, respectively.
• It is estimated that the combined benefit and tax-credit
under-claim is in excess of £20 billion.
• Even when people successfully make claims they may
not always receive their full entitlement (DLA underpayments in
2007 amounted to £260 million)
Funding for advice and support
• There is no statutory duty to provide advice
services
• Austerity measures have led to wide-scale
decommissioning
• Legal Aid is no longer available for social welfare
law (e.g. benefits, employment, debt & housing)
• A perfect storm: Increasing need, diminishing
provision and the most radical reforms since
Beveridge
Welfare Reform
• Welfare Reform Act 2012
• Intention to simplify the benefit system and
encourage people to move into work
• A complete restructure of working age benefits
• Social Security expenditure to be reduced by £22
billion per annum by 2014-2015
• A further reduction of £10 billion announced in
2012 budget
Personal Independence Payment
• PIP replacing DLA for 16-64 year olds
• No new claims from June 2013
• Aim to reduce number of claimants by 500,000
• More medical assessments
• Tougher criteria, shorter awards, more frequent
reviews
• DLA renewal or changes of circumstances will
require claim for PIP
Universal Credit
• UC completely restructures means-tested
benefits provision for working age claimants
• Introduces ‘Digital by Default’ – claims will have
to be made online.
• Payment will be made once a month (to mirror
salaries)
• Aim for UC to be fully implemented by 2017
Some other highlights
• Housing Benefit cut for working age tenants of
social landlords (bedroom tax/spare room
subsidy)
• Council Tax Benefit localised and reduced by 10
per cent
• Help with mortgage interest payments reduced
by 50%
• Contributory- based ESA time-limited to 12
months
• Discretionary Social Fund (Grants and Loans)
replaced by local authority support schemes
Macmillan’s Financial Support Programme
Macmillan
Welfare Rights Line
Macmillan Grants
Local
benefits advice
Policy & campaigns
services
Financial
Guidance
Information Resources
Local benefits services - 2012 impact
• Local advisers helped more than 112,000
• Financial gains of £191m
• 126 benefits services
Policy & Campaigns
• Welfare Reform
• Fuel Poverty
• Prescription charges
Maximising Income: Some Tips
• If you’re struggling financially or just want to
make sure you’re not missing out get a benefits
entitlement check (use the internet, your local
CAB, or ask a health or social care professional
to refer you)
• If entitlements are identified try to get support
with the claiming process.
• When you receive a decision get it checked by
an advisor immediately – there are tight timelimits for appeals and reconsiderations
• If you’re refused try to get support with your
appeal and don’t give up, decisions are often
overturned at appeal
Concluding remarks
• Income maximisation at the earliest opportunity
(and at key transition points) can significantly
reduce financial hardship and improve well-being
• However, accessing advice and navigating social
welfare is arguably more challenging now than it
has ever been
• Charities must work together to build capacity
and to ensure that advice and support is
embedded within future care pathways
Thank you,
any questions?