Streamlining Eligibility Assessments Pilots
Single Assessment Process and Attendance Allowance Project
Maggie RastallOlder People’s Project ManagerLondon Borough of Greenwich
Martin BaillieManager Income MaximisationIslington Council
Workshop
Presentation (approx 20 mins.) Background to project –Maggie Islington project - Martin Interim evaluation and feedback - Martin
Questions and discussion
Partners
London Councils
DWP
Local Pension Service
London Borough of Greenwich
London Borough of Islington
Overall aim of the project
To test whether an assessment (SAP overview) carried out by social care/health professionals can be used as the claim for Attendance Allowance.
November 07 – April 2008
Attendance Allowance
Aged 65 or over Illness or disability and need help with
personal care Not means tested Tax free Higher Rate: £64.50 Lower Rate: £43.15 Depends on how much disability affects you
How do you get it?
Fill in forms!
Yourself
Family, friend, carers
Joint visiting team etc
Single Assessment Process
Join up assessments between health, social care and others (process)
Majority of London Boroughs use the same assessment tool (FACE)
More forms!Similar information but different forms!
Care Managers, District Nurses etc
So what do we want to do?
Use the Single Assessment Form (FACE) to apply for Attendance Allowance.
What are the project benefits?
Reduce duplication Potentially a more accurate claim Speed up process If service user fits Council eligibility criteria
(Critical and/or Substantial) then likely to fit eligibility for AA
New form
DWP mapped overview assessment against their claim form
Produced 3 page additional form Consent Declaration Guidance about help during day and night
New form continued
AA claim consists of (where available): Contact information Overview Assessment - minus carers section
Additional DWP pages – more or less information on this depending on overview
By the end of the project what should we know?
Whether overview assessments can be used as the basis of AA claim
Are those meeting FACS criteria also eligible for AA
Reduction in repetition, workload, DWP queries etc
How many refuse consent– Interim outcomes from Islington pilot …
The Islington pilot
SAP & AA: Activities of daily living vs attention with bodily functions/supervision
Filling gaps Changes to the business process Outcomes and efficiencies Issues affecting roll-out
SAP & AA: ADLs vs attention / supervision
Both include:– Eating/Drinking– Washing– Bathing / toileting– Dressing / Grooming– Cooking / food preparation– Turning in bed– Mobility outside the home
Filling gaps
SAP not designed as claim form –gaps:– Residence/presence conditions– Supervision needs– Night-time needs– dialysis, special rules– Hospital admissions– Date of claim
Solution: WR review, home visit for additional information, completion of DWP short form
Changes to the business process
Benefit screening in SAP form & consent E-referral to welfare rights Identify supplementary information Visit SAP form & DWP short form to Disability
Benefit Centre– Stand well back…
Outcomes
96 referrals from November 07 – March 08:– 53 awards (25 higher rate, 25 lower rate – annual
value of known awards = £140k) 84%– 10 refused – (7 going to appeal) 16%– 18 awaiting visit– 11 awaiting decision– 2 no action needed (already on benefit)– 1 service user declined consent– 1 awaiting action from service user
Efficiencies
Reduced duplication for service user– sensitive information collected once
Shorter home visits by LA visiting officers44% less than 30 minutes
Shorter time to issue decisions– average clearance time of 10 days
Reduced need for GP verifications– 5% required GP reports
Issues affecting roll out
Senior management commitment Practitioner commitment to income maximisation Practitioner awareness of consent issues and
service user safeguards Integration of benefit screening questions in SAP Alignment of SAP forms with AA conditions Need to integrate with Individual Budgets