webinar: help people on their financial journey to universal credit
TRANSCRIPT
Help people on their
financial journey to Universal
Credit
Wed 6 Dec 2017
Housekeeping
• Audio check
• Please ask questions
• Polls and a survey
• Finish by 11:30
Agenda
• Introductions
• Universal Credit roadmap
• Preparing for rollout
• Sharing experiences and tips for rollout
• How software has helped
We make the welfare system simple to understand, so that people can make the decisions that are right for them
Speakers
Zoe CharlesworthPeter CarterPolicy in Practice
Andrew JonesSolihull Community Housing
Molly DunneYour Homes Newcastle
666
Over to Zoe
Budget changes: November 2017
• Advances: changed to 100% of award• From December – 50% within 5 days and 50% at the start of January
• From January 18 – 100% within 5 days of claim
• Re-payment for those new to UC is being extended to 12 months to match those transferring from other benefits
• Waiting days: Abolished from February 2018
• Extension of HB: From April 2018
• Temporary Accommodation: From April 2018 (awaiting details)
• Payment to Landlord: Assumption that current arrangements will stay in place for private tenants as well as social tenants (awaiting details)
• Roll-out timetable: Slowing down until April 2018
• Other: targeted LHA increases, Savings Credit threshold increased to enable increase in Pension Credit
999
Poll: What do you think of the announcements about Universal Credit in Budget 2017?
Successful transition to UC
Client preparedness: Who needs intervention or support?
Pro-active identification: data analysis / client tracking
• Dependant on organisational requirements e.g
Rent protectection
• Tenants with arrears and no monthly income and no savings
• Self-employed with no savings
Homelessness prevention
• Private tenant without non-dependants, savings or monthly earnings
Re-active support: triage
• What is the trigger?
• Do you have the rights tools?
Meeting the needs of your clients
of tenants require no support
30%of clients require some support
50%of clients require a lot of support
(and take up 80% of staff time)
20%
Source: Curo Group, 2017
The key issues for claimants
1. Knowledge: Enables the customer to make informed choices
2. Errors in assessments: What is the correct amount?
3. Monthly payments: budgeting, weekly income and monthly UC
4. Landlord payments
5. 6 week wait: Interim payments?
6. Who to contact?
• Problems with contacting benefit centres
• Time-consuming and costly
• High drop-out rate with application form
• Housing Benefit will no longer be there for advice
Client preparedness: knowledge
• Self-service tools:
Simple and easy to use
Easily accessible
Engaging
• Support tools:
Benefits calculator
Advice and support
Need to answer the key issues for clients
Client preparedness: budgeting
Budgeting
• During 6 week wait and ongoing
• Impact of landlord payments?
• Impact of advance payments?
• Weekly earnings against monthly UC?
161616
Over to our guest speakers
Guest speakers
Andrew JonesSolihull Community Housing
Molly DunneYour Homes Newcastle
181818
Over to Peter
Helping people move to UC: challenges and strategies
CHALLENGE MITIGATING STRATEGY
Identification & targetingPro-active: data analysis, publicity
Re-active: triage and triage tools
Customer knowledge
Errors in assessments
Pre-UC assessments:
Self-service facilities
Advisor comparison of UC
Advisor assessment explanation
A calculator/advice tool can really help - Benefits are complex !
Monthly assessment A tool to calculate monthly UC against weekly income
Landlord paymentsEngagement & discussion
Personal budgeting tool
6 week wait
Triage
Personal budgeting (to ensure priority bills are paid)
Understanding of ongoing impact of advances
Support
Self-service access to support tools
Engagement with customers
Tools to facilitate support and advice
Some final thoughts
• Transitional protection will end as changes of circumstances occur
• Mitigation and support measures need to be ongoing, not just for the initial transition
• Families with 2+ children will be significantly worse off after migration to UC (2019?)
• If you know who needs support in advance you can seek to avoid crisis
Clients
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Questions
Next steps
Download our Benefit and Budgeting Calculator handout
Short survey:
• We value your feedback
• Ask questions or clarifications
• Take another look at our calculator
