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