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TRANSCRIPT
Universal Credit overview – March 2019
Chris Brill, Policy Manager, Homeless Link
Overview of session
1. The aims of Universal Credit
2. The basic features of the
standard model
3. Historic issues for people
experiencing homelessness
4. Safeguards and exemptions
within Universal Credit
5. Developing practice
6. Managed migration
7. Resources
Source - Universal Credit: welfare that works (Department for Work and Pensions, 2010)
How does Universal Credit ‘simplify the system’?
• One benefit
JSA OR
INCOME
SUPPORT
(STANDARD
ALLOWANCE)
HOUSING BENEFIT
(HOUSING COST ELEMENTS)
Which benefits are being replaced?
ESA (LIMITED CAPABILITY FOR WORK ELEMENT)
ESA (LIMITED CAPABILITY FOR WORK RELATED
ACTIVITY ELEMENT)
WORKING TAX CREDITS
CHILD CARE CREDITS
• One benefit
• One administering
organisation
• Once a month
• One benefit unit per family
• Digital by default
• Paid into bank account
How does Universal Credit ‘simplify the system’?
Source: National Audit Office, Rolling Out Universal Credit (2018)
• Work allowances and
taper rates
• Can earn a certain
amount before money
withdrawn
• Withdrawn at a slower
rate
• Conditionality and
sanctions
• Work-focused
requirements where
appropriate
• New sanction rules
How does Universal Credit ‘make work pay’?
• Money management
• Paid in arrears
• Paid monthly
• Monthly assessment
period
How does UC ‘promote personal responsibility’?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments
• Money management
• Paid in arrears
• Paid monthly
• Monthly assessment
period
• Housing costs to
claimant
• Bank account
• Stricter debt recovery
• Digital requirements
• Make and maintain
claim online
How does UC ‘promote personal responsibility’?
Some digital requirements…
• Access IT systems
• Use a browser
• Create email
• Complete and review
an online form
• Monitor account
• Communicate via a
journal
• Upload documents
• …
2) Key features of standard model
• One monthly payment of entire
benefit
• 5 weeks before first payment
(paid in arrears)
• Paid to one bank account in
the household
• Housing costs paid to tenant,
not landlord
• Digital by default
• New conditionality rules
3) Historical issues for people experiencing
homelessness
“Where can you store an economic monthly shop if you’re
rough sleeping?- you have to buy food daily, often
cooked/takeaway-far more expensive.”
“With no account access have to draw full amount out –
harder to hang on to.”
“Unexpected issues that affect budgeting like sanctions on
benefits payments, unexpected visits to the job centre and
costly calls to government agencies about benefits and
housing issues. Rapid and monthly changes to benefits
entitlements i.e. UC being paid in arrears which affects
other entitlements like Council Tax Benefit resulting in
fluctuating monthly payments.”
Homeless Link Expert Panel members
“Libraries have shut down and the ones that haven’t
require membership, which needs proof of address. If you
don’t have an address this can be hard.”
“FEAR. Most people have too much going on. The others
are scared.”
Homeless Link Expert Panel members
Historical problems for people experiencing homelessness
Universal Credit
• Claim online
• Paid into bank account
• Delay for first payment
• One ‘large’ payment a month
• One benefit unit per family
• Irregular payments
• Historic debts and debt recovery
• Communications
• Implicit/Explicit consent
4) Safeguards and exemptions within UC
Quiz!
1. Do you need a bank account to
claim Universal Credit?
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-homeless-people
Source: https://www.gov.uk/payment-exception-service
Quiz!
1. Do you need a bank account to
claim Universal Credit?
2. Do you need an address to claim
Universal Credit?
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-homeless-people
Quiz!
1. Do you need a bank account to
claim Universal Credit?
2. Do you need an address to claim
Universal Credit?
3. Do you have to make a claim online
for Universal Credit?
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-homeless-people
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-homeless-people
Quiz!
1. Do you need a bank account to
claim Universal Credit?
2. Do you need an address to claim
Universal Credit?
3. Do you have to make a claim online
for Universal Credit?
4. Do you have to wait 5 weeks for
your first payment?
Advance Payments and “HB run-on”
• Can get an Advance Payment upfront:
• Up to 100% of first payment
• Can be repaid over up to 12
months (16 months from 2021)
• Can defer for 3 months
• Self-service advance will be made
available from spring 2018 (online)
• Claimants who were previously
receiving Housing Benefit receive a
transitional payment of two weeks HB
when they move to Universal Credit:
• Unrecoverable, automatic and
received early in the first
assessment period.
• Two week roll on of income related JSA,
ESA and Income Support (July 2020)
Quiz!
1. Do you need a bank account to
claim Universal Credit?
2. Do you need an address to claim
Universal Credit?
3. Do you have to make a claim online
for Universal Credit?
4. Do you have to wait 5 weeks for
your first payment?
5. Do you have to receive landlord
costs?
6. Do you have to be paid monthly?
Alternative Payment Arrangements
• Alternative Payment Arrangements
• Direct payment to landlords
• Fortnightly payments
• “Split” payments within a “benefit
unit”
• Identified at outset (work coach
interview), DWP staff discretion on who
and how long
• Applicable if meet an ‘Exception’
• Trusted Partners can make
recommendations for APAs
• New guidance to ensure claimants in
the PRS whose Housing Benefit
previously paid directly to landlord are
automatically offered this option when
join Universal Credit
Exceptions – Tier 1(highly likely/probable)
Alternative Payment Arrangements
- Drug / alcohol and / or other addiction problems e.g. gambling
- Learning difficulties including problems with literacy and/or numeracy
- Severe / multiple debt problems
- In Temporary and / or Supported accommodation
- Homeless
- Domestic violence / abuse
- Mental Health Condition
- Currently in rent arrears / threat of eviction / repossession
- Claimant is young either a 16/17 year old and / or a Care leaver
- Families with multiple and complex needs
Exceptions – Tier 2 (less likely/possible)
Alternative Payment Arrangements
- No bank account
- Third party deductions in place (e.g. for fines, utility arrears etc)
- Claimant is a Refugees / asylum seeker
- History of rent arrears
- Previously homeless and / or in supported accommodation
- Other disability (e.g. physical disability, sensory impairment etc)
- Claimant has just left prison
- Claimant has just left hospital
- Recently bereaved Language skills (e.g. English not spoken as the
‘first language’).
- Ex Service personnel
- NEETs - Not in Education, Employment or Training
Quiz!
1. Do you need a bank account to
claim Universal Credit?
2. Do you need an address to claim
Universal Credit?
3. Do you have to make a claim online
for Universal Credit?
4. Do you have to wait 5 weeks for
your first payment?
5. Do you have to receive landlord
costs?
6. Do you have to be paid monthly?
7. Do you have to look for work whilst
experiencing homelessness?
Easements and hardship payments • “Newly homeless"
• Basic actions to show addressing
“accommodation aspect”
• Domestic violence easement (DVE)
• Threatened or experiencing DV
• Initial 4 weeks, can -> 13 weeks
• Must be requested by claimant,
violence perpetrated within last 26
weeks, not living in same address as
abuser, not benefited from easement
in last 12 months
• Drug/alcohol dependent
• Up to 6 months
• Claimant remains in structured
recovery orientated treatment
• Some UC (and now JSA) have immediate
access to a Hardship payment
• Homeless, mental health impairment
Source: https://www.homeless.org.uk/our-work/resources/working-together-toolkit-developing-relationships-with-jobcentre-plus
Key features of Universal Credit
• One monthly payment of entire benefit
• Can get APA for fortnightly
• Paid to one bank account in the
household
• Can get APA for split
• Housing costs paid to tenant, not
landlord
• Can get APA for housing costs
direct to landlord
• 5 weeks before first payment
• 2 week run-on, Advance payment
• Digital by default
• Can phone, can get support
• New conditionality rules
• Easements
5) Developing practice
• Digital access
• Bank account access
• Language barrier
• Joint working
• Drop in
• Outreach officers
• UC worker embedded in LA
• Housing advice surgery in
DWP
• LA, CAB and Careers groups
• Open days, local forum,…
• Developing escalation protocol
• Agreements around consent
• HA’s providing welfare officers
• Relations with law centres
6) Managed migration • The process by which claimants in
receipt of legacy benefits will be moved
on to Universal Credit.
• Around 3 million claimants, vast majority
of these will be Employment Support
Allowance (ESA) and Tax Credits
claimants.
• Transitional protection for those
compulsory migrated (not natural
migration)
• In June 2019, instead of the full process,
a 10,000 person pilot looking at different
groups
• Won’t pre-populate everything but scope
for something (e.g. recent WCA)
• Propose that move people only where
established relationships
7) Resources
• (Homeless Link) Welfare Aware
Briefings: Universal Credit
• https://www.homeless.org.uk/welfare-
aware-universal-credit
• (Homeless Link) Working Together
toolkit: developing relationships with
Jobcentre Plus
• https://www.homeless.org.uk/our-
work/resources/working-together-toolkit-
developing-relationships-with-jobcentre-
plus
• Frontline network website
• http://frontlinenetwork.org.uk/resources/
• (DWP) Universal Credit and homeless
people
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publicat
ions/universal-credit-and-homeless-
people
7) Resources
• DWP Partnership managers
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publicat
ions/dwp-partnerships/national-
partnership-teams
• CPAG support for advisors
• http://www.cpag.org.uk/advisers
• Local Citizens Advice
• https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about
-us/contact-us/contact-us/search-for-
your-local-citizens-advice/
• Law Centres
• http://www.lawcentres.org.uk/about-law-
centres/law-centres-on-google-
maps/alphabetically
7) Resources
• Universal Credit and Supported
Accommodation training - Thursday, 16
May 2019, London
• https://www.homeless.org.uk/universal-
credit-and-supported-accommodation
• Please keep in touch:
@ChrisBrillHL