Transcript Universal Credit

Islington
Welfare Reform Event
16th January 2013
Universal Credit
• Universal Credit will help claimants and their families to
become more independent and will simplify the benefits
system by bringing together a range of working-age
benefits into a single streamlined payment. The new
Universal Credit system aims to:
• Improve work incentives
• Smooth the transitions into and out of work, supporting a
dynamic labour market
• Simplify the system, making it easier for people to
understand, and easier to administer
• Reduce in-work poverty
• Cut back on fraud and error.
Department for Work & Pensions
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Universal Credit
What’s different about Universal Credit?
The main differences are:
• Universal Credit will be available to people who are in work and on a low
income, as well as to those who are out of work
• Most people will apply online and manage their claim through an online
account
• Universal Credit will be responsive, as people on low incomes move in and
out of work, they’ll get ongoing support – giving people more incentive to
work for any period of time that is available
• Most claimants on low incomes will still be paid Universal Credit when they
first start a new job or increase their part-time hours
• Claimants will receive just one monthly payment, paid into a bank account
in the same way as a monthly salary
• Support with housing costs will go direct to the claimant as part of their
monthly payment.
Department for Work & Pensions
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Universal Credit
• Universal Credit will replace:
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Child Tax Credits
• Working Tax Credits
• Housing Benefit.
• Universal Credit will go live nationally in October 2013. However, from April
2013 a Universal Credit ‘Pathfinder’ programme will take place in
Tameside, Oldham, Wigan and Warrington
• The findings from the Pathfinder will be used to make changes (where
necessary) to ensure the new service is robust and reliable when Universal
Credit goes live nationally in October 2013.
• Frequently Asked Questions
• http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/universal-credit-faqs.pdf
Department for Work & Pensions
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Universal Credit - Key Dates
APRIL 2013
Pathfinder Go-Live
OCT 2013
New claims from unemployed claimants start
APRIL 2014
New claims from in-work claimants start
Managed migrations start
2017
Managed migration activity completed
Department for Work & Pensions
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Benefit Sanctions
There are 3 levels of JSA Sanctions for people who fail to comply with the
conditions for claiming JSA. These are:
•Lower level sanctions These are applied when claimants fail to comply with a
requirement to improve their chances of finding or preparing for work for example fail
for no good reason to attend an advisory interview. These failures will lead to claimants
losing all their JSA for a fixed period of four weeks for a first failure, followed by 13
weeks for any second or subsequent failure within a 52 week period of their last failure.
•Intermediate level sanctions These sanctions are applied following a period of
disallowance for not actively seeking employment or not being available for work.
The period of disallowance may be followed by a sanction for a maximum of four
weeks for a first failure, rising to up to 13 weeks for second or subsequent failure within
a 52 week period of their last failure.
•Higher level sanctions These will apply when claimants fail to comply with the most
important jobseeking requirements, for example failing to accept a suitable job. These
failures will lead to claimants losing all of their JSA for a fixed period of 13 weeks for a
first failure, rising to 26 weeks for a second failure and 156 weeks for third and
subsequent failure within a 52 week period of their last failure.
•Access to hardship provision will be available to all claimants who have had their JSA
stopped
Department for Work & Pensions
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Benefit Sanctions
•There are new sanctions for Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA) claimants who are in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG)
•Letters sent to all ESA (WRAG) claimants who could potentially be
affected by the changes. The letters include details of a helpline they
can use if they need more information about the changes.
•This regime will strengthen, and make clear to claimants, the link
between them receiving benefit and the requirement to do everything
reasonable to find or prepare for work.
ESA claimants may be sanctioned if they do not:
Attend or take part in a Work Focused Interview
• Carry out prescribed work-related activity.
• Claimants who fail to carry out these activities could lose the
Personal Allowance component of their ESA until they comply with
requirements, followed by a fixed period sanction of one, two or four
weeks. The ESA Work Related Activity component will be unaffected
during the sanction.
Department for Work & Pensions
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Social Fund Reform
From April 2013
• Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans will be abolished with funding
transferred to local authorities to introduce new Local Welfare Provision.
Benefit Cap
• We are supporting claimants affected by the Benefit Cap by working
closely with Islington colleagues
• We are also supporting this group back into work by offering training
through our contractors
Department for Work & Pensions
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IB Re-assessment
•
•
By Feb 2012, 2360 local residents had attended IB Re-assessment
The results are:
• Fit for Work
• Work Related Activity Group
• Support Group
•
•
40%
29%
31%
Next set of figures will be available in February 2013
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr
Help for Families
• We have been working closely with Islington Working for Parents to help
parents into work
• We are doing this under the joint Parental Employment Partnership
which delivers a holistic service to support parental journey to work.
Department for Work & Pensions
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Contact details
Highgate Jobcentre
Francess Alexander-Reynolds – Customer Service Operations Manager (CSOM) – 020
7342 3373
[email protected]
Barnsbury Jobcentre
Andrea Barnatt – CSOM – 020 7301 3802
[email protected]
Finsbury Park Jobcentre
Marian Keane – CSOM – 020 7301 5985
[email protected]
Borough Relationship Manager
Sukhpal Grewal – 07827883036
[email protected]
DWP Touchbase e-zine
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/touchbase%2Dmagazine/
Department for Work & Pensions
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