Transcript DWP: Our reform story - Community Housing Cymru Group

Universal Credit
Community Housing Cymru
Helen Matthews
March 2015
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Universal Credit – Transformation
• The scale and transformative nature of Universal Credit make it one of the
Government’s most complex and ambitious reforms.
• Over the last 30 years, public attitudes towards welfare have changed
significantly. Today there is a greater expectation that people should take
more responsibility, and that welfare should be the preserve of those who
really need it.
• Universal Credit aims to alter the landscape of work for a generation by
fundamentally changing the behaviour of four key groups: jobseekers,
employers, Jobcentre Work Coaches and local authorities.
• Over the next year, DWP will make further substantial steps towards its
transformation of the welfare system and labour market, realising the
significant economic benefits of Universal Credit, as well as saving the
taxpayer money.
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Universal Credit at Work
In October 2014, Universal Credit at Work presented compelling evidence that
the transformation of the labour market and welfare state is well underway.
In the four months since, Universal Credit has expanded to more parts of the
country and the evidence is demonstrating the efficacy of the new system.
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•
launched a trial of the Universal Credit Digital Service in Sutton, South
London;
•
equipped Work Coaches with a new labour market measures;
•
developed Randomised Controlled Trials to further understand how
best to support those looking to increase their income through work;
•
continued to develop partnerships with Local Authorities, landlords
and employers to identify effective delivery plans for claimants with
varying needs; and,
•
analysed new data demonstrating that Universal Credit claimants are
more likely to be in work, spending more time in work, and earning
more.
What’s different about Universal Credit?
PAID MONTHLY
IN AND OUT
OF WORK
CLAIMANT
COMMITMENT
REQUIREMENTS
PAID DIRECTLY
IT’S
ABOUT
WORK
IT’S LIKE
WORK
CLAIMANT
COMMITMENT –
LIKE A
CONTRACT
FULL TIME
WORK SEARCH
IT
ENCOURAGE
S WORK
EARNINGS,
NOT HOURS
A SIMPLE TAPER
SO BETTER OFF
IN WORK
EASY
TRANSITION UC
TO WORK (AND
BACK)
Universal Credit - Roll out to date
Progressive roll out of the Universal Credit live service
to a total of 96 Jobcentres in England, Scotland and
Wales, mainly in NW England
• Including Shotton (Flintshire) in N Wales
Universal Credit now available in those areas (with
some exceptions) to:
• single people and couples without children who
would otherwise claim JSA, including existing
Housing Benefit claimants
• families (first 32 Jobcentres in January (included
Shotton) , all 96 Jobcentres from 2 March)
Future rollout – 2015
• National expansion of the live service from February. All
remaining Jobcentres will take claims from single people who
would otherwise claim JSA
• Roll out in 4 tranches – the tranche 1 and 2 lists have been
published on GOV.UK with dates (Feb – July 2015)
– Tranche 1 includes Torfaen, Neath Port Talbot, and
Wrexham LAs – as well as Flint and Mold as additional
Jobcentres in Flintshire
– Tranche 2 includes Bridgend, Caerphilly, Conwy,
Denbighshire, Newport and Swansea LAs
– Tranche 3 and 4 planning assumptions also published
• Further testing and preparation of the digital service during
2015/16
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Future rollout – 2016 - 2019
• The last new claims to benefits UC replaces will be accepted
during 2017
• Following this, the remaining people claiming existing benefits
will progressively decline
• We will then migrate the remaining claims to Universal
Credit.
• The current business case assumes for planning purposes the
bulk of this activity will be complete by 2019.
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Universal Credit timeline
Test and learn
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 2019
LIVE SERVICE in NW England and 6 other Jobcentres
Couples and existing HB claimants
Families
NATIONAL SINGLES EXPANSION
Test digital service
TRANSITION TO DIGITAL SERVICE
ALL NEW CLAIMANTS
MIGRATION
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Key messages for local authorities
(1) Roll out implications for benefit services
• All LAs not already live will go live with new UC claims for
single unemployed claimants in a gradual rollout from
February 2015
• All new claims to existing benefits, including working age
Housing Benefit, will cease by the end of 2017
• Some managed migration may be needed during 2018-19
• We have been talking to local government representatives
about planning the rollout schedule for all these stages
• LAs may need to maintain some provision for working age HB
into 2018
– Under current arrangements, some claimants in supported
accommodation will still receive HB
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• LAs will need to continue to administer pension age HB until at
least 2017-2018
– It is intended to replace this with a housing element of pension
credit at a later date
Key messages for local authorities
(2) Local delivery partnerships
• For 2015 expansion, interim UC delivery partnership
agreements will be put in place with each LA to ensure
funding is available to cover costs and provide services
for those who need additional help
• New regulations to enable better data sharing are now in
force:
– between social landlords and DWP
– between all DWP, LAs and key partners involved in
Universal Support = delivered locally delivery partnerships
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Key messages for local authorities
(3) Going forward
• HB administration subsidy for 2015-16 will not be
directly affected by UC rollout plans (although subject to
other pressures); and we will discuss appropriate
funding levels for 2016-17 with sector representatives
• LAs and DWP need to develop partnerships and map
services to prepare for the Universal Support – delivered
locally, when expansion is widened to other claimant
groups
– LAs will be lead partner for USdl until at least 2020
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LA Delivery Partnership Agreement 2015/16
• Services LA will deliver
– Supported on-line access
– Personal Budgeting Support
– Support for UC Service Centre
– LA to determine how best to deliver these services
• Costs for services – broken down by
– Supported on-line access
– PBS
– Support for UC Service Centre
– Landlord and other communications
– Management
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Universal Support Trials
Sept 2014 – eleven Universal
Support trials commenced, to
run until August 2015
• Blaenau Gwent and
Carmarthenshire in Wales
• To provide evaluated learning
about how partnerships can
support those who need
additional help to make and
manage a UC claim
• To inform future framework
development in Autumn 2015
• Key aspects:
– triage and orientation
– access to digital support.
– financial inclusion
– partnership development.
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Dundee City
Argyll and Bute
Northumberland
and South Tyneside
West
Lindsey, City
of Lincoln,
North
Kesteven &
Lincolnshire
Derby City
South Staffs
Carmarthenshire
Blaenau Gwent
Islington
Westminster
and Royal
Borough of
Kensington
and Chelsea
Lambeth/
Lewisham/
Southwark
Working with landlords
• We're working closely with social landlords such as councils and
housing associations to help them pro-actively support tenants to
manage the change to UC:
• As part of our learning from our Pathfinder, we have already:
– Introduced a standard template on which landlords can apply for
an Alternative Payment Arrangement and deductions from UC
– Put in place a dedicated Housing Costs team within the UC
Service Centre in Bolton.
– Offered a range of contact methods depending on the severity of
individuals circumstances
– Held a series of meetings with RSLs to address issues they were
experiencing.
– Data sharing with RSLs from February
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Any Questions?
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