Transcript Document

INFORM
Update 6- March 2011
Welfare Reform in the South West
Contents:
Work Programme& Pre Work
Programme Support
Get Britain Working
Welfare Reform Bill
Universal Credit
Welcome to the sixth edition of INFORM.
Incapacity Benefit Reassessment
The introduction of the Get Britain Working measures continues to be a success, and we
have already secured over 100 Work Experience opportunities with a wide range of employers
across the South West .
I am pleased to report that we are progressing well with the implementation of our Business
Review and the integration of the South East and South West regions to become the new
Southern Group.
This has ultimately led to a number of organisational and personnel changes with in our regional
and district structures
, which includes
and my
team . Message
Regional
Externalmyself
Relations
Manager’s
My colleague Lynda Jones will be taking on the role of Group Partnership Manager from April
and will continue working with key partners and stakeholders across the new Southern Group.
We will also be reviewing how we communicate with our key partners in the future across the
whole Southern Group and we will keep you updated as this is progressed.
I will be moving to lead the work on the external relations agenda in the Wessex District .
Therefore , I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my external colleagues & partners in
the South West for your support during my time working across the region.
Phil Harrison
South West Regional External Relations Manager
Part of the Department
for Work and Pensions
Work Programme & Pre Work Programme Support
What progress has been made on introducing the Work Programme?
Pre Work Programme Support
In the South West contract package areas DWP received over 20 bids to
deliver the Work Programme. These are now currently being assessed
and the successful bidders will be announced in early April 2011.
From 4 April 2011 we will be launching the
Pre Work Programme Jobcentre Plus Offer.
Following the announcement of the successful bidders a series of events
and communication meetings will take place between Providers and
Jobcentre Plus to start the implementation process. It is expected that this
will all be completed by end July 2011.
It should be noted that each contract package area and Jobcentre Plus
District will be in a different position as far as the detail of implementation
and migration is concerned. It will all depend on which providers are
currently in place and which providers become Work Programme providers
and on the readiness position of each provider and its supply chain .
.
When do current programmes end ?
All current New Deal provision has been extended and last referrals will be
made on 1 June 2011( with the exception of the Gateway to Work Course
with last referrals being made on 31 March 2011).
Referrals to Provider - led Pathways in Devon & Cornwall ended on 17 Feb
Referrals to Provider - led Pathways in Glos, Wilts, Swindon and West of
England will end on 16 March 2011.
Referrals to New Deal for Disabled People and the Jobcentre Plus led
Pathways in Dorset & Somerset will end on 31 March 2011.
Progress to Work has been extended to 30 June 2011 and ministers are still
considering if / how this will be replaced in the future.
The offer will bring together a number of
component parts of the Get Britain Working
package of support which our Advisers will use
to maximise the number of people moving from
benefit in to work .
As part of this package of support our districts
will move from a standard advisory regime with
fixed mandatory intervention points to a more
flexible approach . This new model will be a mix
of core and flexible interventions which will be
based on the assessment of the customer’s
needs and level of support required.
In addition to this flexibility ,Advisers will have
access to a Flexible Menu of Support. This may
vary from District to District but will include :
•Get Britain Working measures
•Mandatory Work Activity ( from end April )
•Access to skills training
•Other back to work support including ESF
•Flexible Support Fund
Progress towards Get Britain Working
Get Britain Working - these initiatives will form part of Pre Work Programme Jobcentre Plus Offer which will be available to our
customers before they are referred on to the Work Programme.
Jobcentre Plus District Managers will be given the flexibility to respond to the needs of their own local labour market and will have
some choice over which elements to offer customers claiming in their area.
Work Together
Work Clubs
Work Experience
New Enterprise Allowance ( NEA )
This is now available from
day one to all customers
and offers greater
opportunities for them to
volunteer in their local
communities whilst they
are looking for work.
Customers are now able to
volunteer to work with any
kind of organisation and
there is no limit on the
number of hours they can
volunteer for.
Volunteering leaflet
In SW we now have over 290
Work Clubs up and running
across the region.
Work Clubs will provide
unemployed people with a
place to meet and exchange
skills, share experiences,
find opportunities, and get
support to help them in their
return to work.
These are available to all
customers and are run by a
range of private, voluntary
and public organisations.
This support will initially help
young people develop the
skills needed to secure a
sustainable job by offering
18-21 year olds a period
of work experience. JCP will
be working with a range of
employers to help deliver
these opportunities. To date
we have already secured over
100 opportunities across the
SW.
This is currently being trail-blazed in
Merseyside with further roll out from
April 2011 in targeted areas. In SW
this will be Devon & Cornwall .
NEA will offer a structured route for
those wanting to start a business.
It will provide a range of support
including access to a mentor and
grants for those with a viable
business plan.
A network of volunteer mentors
will be needed to support these
customers.
More details will be published on
The DWP website shortly.
Work Experience
Enterprise Clubs
These will provide unemployed people interested in self employment with a place to meet and exchange skills, make contacts,
share experience, receive support and encourage each other to work through their business ideas.
These will run in a similar way to Work Clubs and will be locally led with some support from Jobcentre Plus where required.
Guidance is now available for any organisation interested in setting up or supporting a local Enterprise Club.
Service Academies
Still in development - These will be delivered in partnership with training providers and employers. It will be a
sectoral initiative based on local employer needs and will consist of pre employment training complimented with
a work placement and guaranteed interview. Current expectation is these will be available at the beginning of
the new academic year .
GET BRITAIN WORKING
All Employment
Support Allowance
(ESA) customers.
*Eligible for WP at
any time (Voluntary)
ESA (income related) customers in
Work Related Activity Group.
* Eligible for WP when fit for work
within 3 months
Jobcentre Plus Flexible Menu
IS customers e.g.
Lone Parents/
Carers
*NOT eligible for
Work Programme
JSA customers with
significant disadvantage
e.g. YP, NEETs, ex
offenders
* Eligible for WP from 3
months
Work Choice
Skills
Work Clubs
Job Search
Self
Employment
Volunteering
Support
Contract
Work
Experience
ESF
Flexible Fund
JSA customers 18 –
24 yr olds
JSA customers 25+
* Eligible for WP
from 12 months
JSA customers
recently moved from
Incapacity Benefit
* Eligible for WP
from 3 months
* Eligible for WP
from 9 months
New Jobcentre Plus Flexible Advisory Intervention Regime
*Eligible for
Work
Programme
(WP)
support
lasting 2
years
Post Work
Programme
Support
Welfare Reform Bill
What is the Welfare Reform Bill ?
On 16 February 2011 the Welfare reform Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill legislates for the biggest change to the
welfare system for over 60 years.
It introduces a wide range of reforms that will enable the Government to deliver its welfare reform priorities by :
•
Creating the right incentives to get more people into work by ensuring work always pays
•
Protecting the most vulnerable in our society
•
Delivering fairness to those claiming benefit and to the taxpayer.
The Bill proposes a number of changes and the majority of these will not come in to effect until 2013 at the earliest.
What are the main elements of the Bill ?
What happens next ?
- Introduction of Universal Credit to provide a single
streamlined benefit.
The Bill must go through a number of Parliamentary stages
before it can become law, and there may be changes made
to it during this process. This process is expected to be
completed before the end of 2011, with the Bill then receiving
Royal Assent and becoming law.
- A stronger approach to reducing fraud and error with tougher
penalties for the most serious offences.
- A new claimant commitment showing clearly what is expected
of claimants while giving protection to those with greatest need.
- Reforms to Disability Living Allowance , through the
introduction of the Personal Independence Payment.
-Creating a fairer approach to Housing Benefit .
- Reforms to the Social Fund.
- Time limits for Employment & Support Allowance.
- Changes to support a new system of child support .
Once it becomes law , the Bill will provide legislation needed
to overhaul the existing system, including the introduction
of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment.
The Government will also legislate for changes to housing
benefit and to child maintenance arrangements.
N.B : Carer’s Allowance will not form part of this Bill.
Universal Credit
What are the main proposals for Universal Credit within the Welfare Reform Bill ?
- Universal Credit will be a single income-related payment reflecting the personal circumstances of the claimant whether
they are in or our of work.
- It will replace Income Support, income based Jobseeker’s Allowance , income related Employment & Support Allowance,
Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit with a single payment.
- The amount received will depend on needs and circumstances.
- The impact on earnings on entitlement will be worked out using a system of disregards and a single constant taper. The
amount that can be disregarded from earnings will vary by household circumstances.
- As earnings rise , we expect Universal Credit will be withdrawn at a constant rate of around 65 pence for each pound of
net earnings.
How will this effect the Social Fund ?
What are the Nextsteps ?
The main proposals include:
There is work to do in both preparing for these
changes and ensuring continuation of provision during
the handover period.
-The Discretionary Social Fund and the Independent Review
Service will be abolished.
- Local authorities in England will deliver a reformed system to
provide assistance which will replace Community Care Grants
and Crisis Loans for general living expenses.
-Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loan alignment payments will be
replaced by a new national system of Payments on Account that
will be part of the benefit system.
- Funeral Payments will remain as they are now.
- Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments will remain.
We anticipate that changes will be aligned with the
introduction of Universal Credit from 2013.
The Government launched a call for evidence regarding
Local support to replace Community Care Grants and
Crisis Loans for Living expenses. This is targeted at
Local Authorities and organisations representing
vulnerable customer groups . This closes 15 April 2011
Link to consultation
Incapacity Benefits Reassessment
How is the Incapacity Benefit Re-assessment Introductory
Phase progressing?
A limited introductory phase commenced on 28 February 2011 in all centres dealing with IB (IS) Reassessment involving
1,000 customers per week nationally ( 76 cases in South West ).
This introductory period will ensure that the experiences gained within the trial are shared nationally with the opportunity to
learn valuable lessons.
Full national roll out is still planned to begin in April 2011 when around 7,000 cases nationally ( 686 cases in South West )
will be processed per week.
This will increase to around 11,000 from May 2011( 828 cases in South West ).
The reassessment exercise will be completed by March 2014
What are the early trial evaluation findings to date ?
The trial began on 11th October 2010 in Burnley and Aberdeen with 1700 customers being selected
for reassessment, (850 in each of the trial areas).
The findings from the trial have shown that:
- The customer journey , which includes additional customer support points, has been welcomed by staff,
customers and customer representative groups.
- Approx 1500 customers have received a reassessment decision with volumes in line with our predictions.
- We have been able to strengthen learning and guidance as a result of customer and staff feedback.
Early Statistical findings were released on the 10th February and can be accessed via DWP website:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/wca_ib_reassessment_interim.pdf
Incapacity Benefits Reassessment
National IB (IS) Reassessment Trial Evaluation Findings To-Date - Continued
Summary Findings
•The IB Reassessment Trial has proved extremely valuable.
•The Customer Journey has been shown to be viable, with staff and customers reacting positively to the additional customer
interventions.
•Customer reactions to Work Capability Assessment & the Disallowance call were mixed.
•There has been little adverse customer reaction & low levels of active non-compliance during the Trial. Enquiries by phone
and footfall have been much lower than anticipated.
•Working with the wider stakeholder community (both at national and local level) with CRG’s and MPs especially, was critical.
•Initial customer reaction to Work Focused Interviews has been positive, with customers welcoming offers of access to the
support available.
•The trial also highlighted important areas for improvement. An Operational Lessons Learned product is being shared
with Jobcentre Plus staff in all reassessment sites.
If you are interested in the full IB ( IS ) Reassessment process the following presentation will take you through
the full customer journey .
Further information
Tell us what you think
Useful websites :
To access links in this document:
Right click on link and select “open hyperlink”
The DWP website contains general information about the
government’s welfare reform agenda.
DWP website
They have now added a link to What's new

Direct Gov website contains information about all
JocentrePlus Services and the changes which will be
happening with regards to customers claiming Incapacity
Benefit - IB/IS Reassessment

If you would like to keep up to date with the development of
the Get Britain Working support then please use the
following link. Get Britain Working

For more information : Universal Credit: welfare that
works - DWP
If you have any comments regarding this update
or indeed would like to raise any issues please
contact
Gaynor Clarke on 01823 349514 or by e mail at :
[email protected].
Please note if you do not wish to receive this
update or you would like it forwarded to an
alternative address, please let me know.
New Enterprise Allowance ( NEA )
The New Enterprise Allowance is due to be launched
in April 2011, starting in Devon & Cornwall. This will
offer help and support for people interested in moving
in to self employment.
We are looking for organisations who would be
interested in applying to run a mentoring service
to support the NEA process initially in
Devon & Cornwall (other areas will roll out later
this year ).
For further details please contact :
Senior External Relations Manager
[email protected]