Transcript Document

INFORM – Update 4 Jan 2011
Welfare Reform in the South West
Contents:
Work Programme
Get Britain Working
Universal Credit
Incapacity Benefit Reassessment
Welcome to the fourth edition of INFORM.
Firstly, may I wish you all a Happy New Year for 2011.
Last year we saw the government set out a clear plan for welfare reform and this programme
of changes will continue in 2011 and beyond. Work is well underway on the Get Britain
Working initiatives and the formal Invitation to Tender for delivery of the Work Programme
was issued on 22 December to DWP Framework Suppliers.
The South West provider engagement event held on 10 December was a resounding
success , with over 180 partners and stakeholders having the opportunity to network and
Regional External Relations Manager’s Message
meet the successful Framework Suppliers in the SW.
This year also sees major changes for Jobcentre Plus as we merge with our colleagues in
the South East to form the new Southern Group. Paul Williams ( previously Customer
Service Director for South East region ) has been selected as the new Customer Service
Director for the Southern Group, and will take up post from 1st February 2011. Claire Mc
Guckin will be moving on to take up post as Customer Service Director for the new Central
Group. We will keep you updated of the challenges ahead as we move in to our new
structure.
Phil Harrison
South West Regional External Relations Manager
Part of the Department
for Work and Pensions
The Work Programme
What progress has been made on introducing the Work Programme ?
DWP has announced the completion of the selection process for the Employment Related Support Services
( ERSS ) Framework and has made their Award Decision .
A list of organisations who have been successful to become part of the Framework for the Provision of Employment
Related Support Services has now been published on the DWP website.
Framework for the Provision of Employment Related Support Services - DWP
What is the timetable for procurement
of the Work Programme ?
What are the transition arrangements from existing provision
to the Work Programme?
The formal Invitation to Tender for the
Work Programme was issued to the successful
Framework suppliers on 22 December 2010.
All current New Deal provision has been extended to the end of June
2011. The last referrals to New Deal will be made at the end of March
2011.
The specification for the Work Programme is
not prescriptive, thereby leaving maximum
flexibility for the bidders to develop innovative
tenders which meet the needs of specific
localities.
What support will customers get?
Eligibility for referral to the Work Programme has now been
finalised ( see next page ).
A copy of the specification can be found
via : Supplying DWP website
Customers will be offered help and support through Jobcentre Plus
before referral to the Work Programme. The aim is to help people
become better at looking for work and so move off benefit more quickly
and find a sustainable job.
The deadline for Work Programme tenders to
be returned is 14 February 2011.
We will also look to continue the drive to focus this support on those
who really need it.
The Work Programme is on schedule to be
implemented nationally by Summer 2011.
Any queries from providers regarding the
Work Programme should contact :
[email protected]
Work Programme Eligibility
Customer Group
Time of referral
Basis for referral
Jobseeker Allowance customers aged
25+
From 12 Months
Mandatory
Jobseeker Allowance customers aged
18-24
From 9 Months
Mandatory
Jobseeker Allowance customers who
have recently moved from Incapacity
Benefit
From 3 months
Mandatory
Jobseeker Allowance customers facing
significant disadvantage
From 3 months
Mandatory or Voluntary
All Employment and Support Allowance
customers
At any time from Work capability assessment
Voluntary
Employment and Support Allowance
customers (income based) who are
placed in “work related activity group”
When customers are expected to be fit for work in 3
months
Mandatory
Progress towards Get Britain Working
Get Britain Working is a range of initiatives that are currently in different stages of development. These initiatives will form part of
the Jobcentre Plus flexible menu of support which will be available to 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 the local labour market and
will have some choice over which elements to offer. Some types of support will be targeted at certain designated areas, but this
does not preclude District Managers in other areas from using their Flexible Fund to introduce similar support ( see next page ) .
Work Together National Coverage
Work Clubs National Coverage
Work Experience
New Enterprise Allowance
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.
In SW we now have over 250
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 will be available from
24 Jan 2011 and will be part
of the JCP District Manager’s
flexibilities.
This will be trail-blazed in
Merseyside in January 2011
with expected roll out from
April 2011 in targeted areas,
with National coverage in the
autumn. NEA will offer a
structured route for those
wanting to start a business
by providing access to a
range of support ,including
access to a mentor and
grants for those with viable
plans to move in to self
employment.
JCP continue to work with a
number of organisations
across the region to ensure
we promote all available
placements to our
customers.
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.
Service Academies
Still in development - these are expected to be available from August 2011and is likely to be a six week
programme which will consist of pre- employment training , work experience placements and a job interview guarantee. This
will be delivered in partnership with training providers and employers with JCP sourcing placements and selecting
appropriate customers.
Mandatory Work Activity National Coverage
This is still in development but will run in addition to the Get Britain Working Initiatives. This contracted
provision will to help people move closer to the labour market by providing labour market disciplines around
attendance, timekeeping and carrying out specific tasks. Placements may last for up to four weeks.
JCP Flexible menu of support
JCP District Managers will have flexibility to respond to the needs of the local labour market:
• The menu of support below will in principle be for all Jobcentre Plus customers, though some may be restricted through
national policy
• District Managers will have some choice over which elements to offer and to what extent, based on customer and local labour
market characteristics
• They will choose how and where to target the Flexible Fund, which is discretionary money available to increase/speed up offflows
• Some types of support will be targeted at certain disadvantaged areas – this does not preclude District Managers in other areas
from using the Flexible Fund to introduce similar support
Skills
Light Skills Screen by JCP
Service Academies
Apprenticeships
Peer to Peer
Work Clubs
Volunteering
Enterprise
National Database
Of Opportunities
www.doit.org.uk
JCP Engagement with Local
Voluntary Sector
Self Employment Mentoring
New Enterprise Allowance
Start up support (BIS)
Work Experience
Work Choice
Jobsearch
ESF
Advisor Support
Funding
to
support
disadvantaged
Jobsearch training (Support Contract)
customers
through
locally driven
Job vacancies database
contracted
provision
On line support
Careers Advice
JCP Group Sessions
Flexible Fund
Discretionary funds to help customers overcome specific barriers and move into work
Advisers will have flexibility to respond to the needs of individual customers:
• There will be a fully diagnostic interview with a customer at first interview to determine the level and type of support the
customer receives
• Advisers will agree a personalised ‘contract’ with the customer
• Advisers will be able to give each customer the support they think they need, using the ‘time bank’ approach to adviser
interventions
of thethrough
Department
• They will be able to refer customers to support based on their individual needs and barriers, includingPart
support
the
for Work and Pensions
Flexible Fund
• Different support will become available at different points of a claim for JSA customers
• There will be some flexibility to defer referral to the Work Programme based on activity undertaken via Jobcentre Plus
Universal Credit
Which benefits will be included in the changes?
The Government has announced that it will introduce Universal Credit, which will bring together many of the current benefits and
credits. Universal Credit will provide a basic allowance with additional elements for children, disability, housing and caring, and
Will be introduced through a phased approach starting from October 2013.
Universal Credit will replace current working age means tested benefits - Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit,
Income Support, and income based Jobseeker’s Allowance and income based Employment Support Allowance.
What about other benefits?
How will Social Fund change as Universal Credit
is introduced ?
Reformed versions of contributions based benefits,
such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and the Employment
and Support Allowance, will continue alongside Universal
Credit.
Social Fund will change as Universal Credit is introduced to
tackle growing abuse of the system, whilst ensuring that it
serves its purpose of protecting the most vulnerable in society.
Universal Credit will be for working age customers, but
some of the benefits and tax credits it will absorb
currently provide support for pension age customers too.
Support for older people with housing costs, and with
dependant children, will be incorporated into Pension
Credit so that older people will still get the help they need.
It is expected that some of the more straightforward elements
of this to become part of Universal Credit.
Consideration is still been given whether changes to
Carer’s Allowance are needed.
There is still much work to do on the detail of these proposals.
Council Tax Benefit will not be part of Universal
Credit.
Other elements, including Community Care Grants and Crisis
Loans that would benefit from more local contact and discretion
may be devolved to Local Authorities.
However the basic principle will be that to receive Universal
Credit, applicants will need to agree to conditions placed on
them, based upon their personal circumstances.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will remain as a separate non-means tested benefit.
This benefit will be reformed and a consultation paper has been issued. The DLA consultation will be open
until 14 February 2011: Link to consultation
Incapacity Benefits Reassessment
How are the Incapacity Benefit Re-assessment trials progressing?
The Trial areas ( Burnley and Aberdeen ) continue to progress well, with
over 1000 Work Capability appointments now been scheduled and
over 400 Reassessment decisions made.
Early feedback indicates that customers are attending Work Capability
Assessments , with very few failure to attends being recorded.
The Project Team from the Trial have already presented to a Jobcentre
Plus Customer Representative Forum on 14 December on trail progress
to date and are currently planning for national stakeholder engagement
prior to the start of the national roll out in Spring 2011.
The Customer Journey for the whole process is illustrated on next page.
Will Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit be affected ?
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit calculations may be affected by
reassessment.
- Customers moving to income-related benefits will receive maximum
eligible help with rent and council tax.
- Customers moving off benefits will be contacted by the Local Authority
to review their entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
- For customers moving to contributory Employment & Support Allowance
( paid without income –related ESA ) from Incapacity Benefit (paid
without Income Support ) any disability premium will be removed from the
Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit calculation and replaced by either the
work activity component or the support component.
Work Capability Assessment ( WCA)
Review Update
Following the first report of five independent
reviews of the assessment process, led
by Professor Harrington , DWP was
already planning amendments to the WCA
in Spring 2011 which will include :
- Ensure individuals awaiting or between
courses of chemotherapy are treated in the
same way as those already receiving it.
- Improve recognition of how exhaustion can
limit functional capability for work.
- Simplify and clarify language of the
descriptors.
- Expand the ESA support group to cover
people with certain communication problems
and severe disability due to mental health
conditions.
- Ensure that appropriate account is taken of
how an individual adapts to their condition or
disability.
I attend
Customer
Journey
Someone calls
me to give
further
information and
advice, find out
if I need extra
help with the
process
I become
aware about
forthcoming
changes to my
benefits
Someone
calls me to
arrange a
WCA
3
4
Atos call me
to arrange &
conduct a
WFHRA~
Please note the process is still under trial and is
still subject to change
The Jobcentre
contacts me to
arrange a WFI
Support Group
9
I receive a letter with
my JSA award
notification
6
I receive a
medical
questionnaire
to fill out
11
10
I receive a letter
with my ESA
award notification
7
5
1

TP only applies to
customers with
missing
information)
8
2
I receive a letter
informing me that
changes are
about to
commence and
advising me on
the next steps
Someone calls
to gather any
missing
information
and explain the
next steps (this
Someone calls
to advise on
ESA entitlement
and next steps
in the ESA
regime
~WFHRAs the WFI
have been
suspended for
2 years from
12
19/07/2010
13
14
I attend
the WCA
with Atos
17
Someone calls to
inform me of the
entitlement decision
and advises me of
my options. If I
wish to claim JSA I
am transferred to
someone who takes
my claim details
15
I receive a
letter informing
me of benefit
disallowance
and the WCA
outcome
I write a
letter / call
to appeal*
*if customer
calls they will
be told appeal
needs to be in
writing
16
Someone calls
to confirm
information for
reconsideration^
Further information
Useful websites :
Tell us what you think
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 ) Benefits if you are ill or
disabled
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.

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

Produced by Jobcentre Plus, Regional External Relations Team South West
The Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
consultation will be open until 14 February 2011:
Link to consultation