Universal Credit Sunderland City Council Partners Universal Credit - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Universal Credit

Sunderland City Council Partners

Universal Credit - overview Universal Credit

Income based Jobseekers Allowance Income based Employment and Support Allowance Working Tax Credits Child Tax Credit Income Support Housing Benefit

What’s different about Universal Credit?

IT ENCOURAGES WORK IT’S LIKE WORK IT’S ABOUT WORK

PAID MONTHLY PAID DIRECTLY CLAIMANT COMMITMENT – LIKE A CONTRACT IN AND OUT OF WORK CLAIMANT COMMITMENT REQUIREMENTS FULL TIME WORK SEARCH EARNINGS, NOT HOURS A SIMPLE TAPER SO BETTER OFF IN WORK EASY TRANSITION UC TO WORK (AND BACK)

A job, a Better job, a Career –

A Encouraging people to move into a job as quickly as possible – getting a job is the best stepping stone to sustained employment B Coaching people to remain in work through ongoing support while in work C Coaching people to progress in work and improve their earnings through

• ngoing support, and take ‘stepping stones’ to employment in which they

can reach their full potential which matches their capability and capacity

Example: rent of £110 per week

6

Live service update –to end August 2015

• 359 Jobcentres now delivering Universal Credit
• 160 LAs signed up as delivery partners
• 8 Service Centres live with and Derby Service Centre

planned later this year

• 120,000+ people now have a Universal Credit claim
• Sunderland begins delivery from 2 November 2015
• Implementation on track to complete roll out to newly

unemployed single Jobseeker Allowance claimants by end

• f April 2016.

7

24/09 Date of Claim +7 days

1st Universal Credit Payment Calculation / notification to claimant: 01/11

1st Universal Credit Payment Received by Claimant: 07/11

Regular Universal Credit Assessment Period

2nd Universal Credit Payment Calculation: 01/12

2nd Universal Credit Payment Received by Claimant: 07/12

An example claim

31/10 30/11

7 waiting day Period

01/10 End of waiting days

8

Supporting People in Sunderland

Universal Credit Safety Net:

• Alternative payment arrangements (rent)
• More frequent payments
• Advance payments

Working in Partnership

• Wide ranging communication / preparatory activities
• On-line support
• Personal Budgeting Support

Preparation for Future Delivery Model

• Closure of existing Gateway – all benefits
• Universal Credit Digital – singles, couples and families

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

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Preparing For Universal Credit

Joan Reed Strategic Change Manger

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All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Self Serve Materials

Range of information on DWP and Council websites Support Pack – to be sent out

• Leaflet - About Universal Credit
• Leaflet - Making a claim
• Leaflet - Where to go for advice
• Leaflet - Top Tips
• Desk Top Aid

Artwork supplied to print off copies if you wish

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Self Serve Materials

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Online Claim Support

Customer T ypes and Identified Support

Customer Support Got access and confidence to make an online claim Useful info online No access but feels confident to make their

• nline claim

Job Centres, Libraries and CSNs Got access but no confidence to make their

• nline claim

Assisted self serve support with form completion available via JC Plus and Council No access and no confidence to make their

• nline claim

Assisted self serve support with form completion available via JC Plus and Council

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Online Claim Support

Pathways

• People who turn up in JC Plus and need help with the claim

form should be assisted there and only signposted into council surgeries if there is a capacity issue

• People who turn up in the CSN should be signposted into the

relevant council surgery

• People who ring the DWP Service Centre or Council should be

told that help is available via JC Plus and the council

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Online Claim Support

Process

The DWP Service Centre and Job Centres will signpost -based on customer post code (only if they cannot provide assisted self serve themselves) - to the appropriate venue and give days/times for surgeries

• Sunderland and Southwick Job Centres will signpost into

city centre surgeries

• Washington and Houghton will signpost into Galleries

and/or Houghton

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Online Claim Support

Surgeries

Initially surgeries will be offered as follows but demand will be closely monitored and the service reviewed as needed

Tuesday 9.30 -11.30 am

Washington Library (Heritage Area) Independence Square Washington, NE38 7RZ

Tuesday 14.30-16.30 pm

Fawcett Street Customer Service Centre 31-33 Fawcett Street Sunderland SR1 1RE

Wednesday 9.30 -11.30 am

Fawcett Street Customer Service Centre 31-33 Fawcett Street Sunderland SR1 1RE

Thursday 14.30-16.30 pm

Houghton Customer Service Centre Newbottle Street, DH4 4AF

Friday 9.30-11.30 am

Fawcett Street Customer Service Centre 31-33 Fawcett Street Sunderland SR1 1RE

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Online Claim Support

Surgeries As there are no surgeries planned for a Monday at the moment we have agreed with DWP that if people contact the DWP Service Centre or CSN on a Friday or Monday looking for assisted self serve they will be advised You can ring your Universal Credit Service Centre on 03456000723 or 08456000723 and make a claim over the telephone , requesting a call back If they need face to face support and are unable to cope with doing it over the phone then they will be directed to their nearest Jobcentre or wait until Tuesday.

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

The service will be tailored to the claimant’s ability to handle each

• f the main Universal Credit financial changes:
• Monthly payments
• Single payment to the household
• Housing element paid directly to the claimant

As well as offering more generalised budgeting support but not debt advice The service offers one off/short term support

Personal Budgeting Support

alltogethersunderland.co.uk

All together, working, playing, learning, growing, laughing, innovating, caring, sharing, living… Sunderland!

Personal Budgeting Support

Process Referral from DWP Service Centre/ Job Centre Triaged for immediate /more complex issues- e.g. referral into debt support assessment of needs

Creation of a Personal Budgeting Plan

• Help setting up a monthly budget and budgeting advice
• Advice on finding the right bank account and how to open an

account

• Different methods for paying bills
• Identifying priority and non-priority bills
• Help with money worries
• Advice on making your money go further
• Referral into wider support