Housing Benefit Changes April 2013 onwards April 2013 - Changes Much more change for April 2013 ...
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Transcript of Housing Benefit Changes April 2013 onwards April 2013 - Changes Much more change for April 2013 ...
Housing Benefit ChangesApril 2013 onwards
April 2013 - Changes
Much more change for April 2013Council Tax Support Social rent sector restrictionsSocial fund and community care
grantsBenefit Cap
Council Tax Support
CTB abolished, local replacement scheme 10% savings from previous year’s CTB Must protect elderly, consider vulnerability and
incentives for worklessness Need to consult on proposals which are
Everyone pays some CTAX (around 15%) Ending 2AR (only 3 live cases in Lewisham) But pending Council decision (January 2013)
Impact
Council Tax Banding A B C D E F G H
Weekly reduction inCouncil Tax Support
£1.77 £2.05 £2.34 £2.67 £3.27 £3.89 £4.92 £6.14
24,384 working age households of which
9,493 single-parents and 1,485 families with children
37% in Band B, 36% in Band C
What are we doing?
Extensive consultation Equality impact analysis Recommendations for Mayor and
full Council Bidding for additional funding Development of hardship fund Advanced communication and
factsheets
Under Occupation in the Social Sector
14% reduction if under-occupied by 1 bedroom, 25% if 2 or more
Reduction is from eligible rent (charge) NOT the level of HB
Produced lists for all major providers New, improved solution requires data from
providers for uploading into LA systems Issue re contacting those not paid direct (to LL)
What are we doing?
Produced lists of all affected households
Extensive liaison with housing providers Getting details of those entitled to DHP
(foster carers and adapted properties) Cross borough protocols Preparation of information factsheets
Benefit Cap
Introduced from April 2013 Applies to combined income from main out-of-work
benefits + child benefit, housing costs, child tax credits Caps will be £500 p/w for couples and lone parents and
£350 p/w for single adults Cap will initially be applied to housing costs only Exemptions – Households entitled to working tax credits,
DLA, attendance allowance, some components of ESA 880 households affected in Lewisham
Impact of the Cap?
Household207 couples with children, 606 lone parents, 9with 7 children, 1 with 8, 4 with 9 and 1 with 12 childrenWeekly Losses339 Up to £50, 269 to £100, 119 to £150 and 153over £150, weekly, losses range from 38p to £453PropertySocial sector 267, private-rented 613
What are we doing?
JC+ have written to all affected and trying to help people into work
We will be writing to all affected with specific amounts of impact
Profile DHP, set thresholds, need to finalise what we will and will not cover with DHP
Shared information on those affected with housing providers
Universal Credit pilot
Financial inclusion
Digital inclusion
Employment support
Housing support
Full assessment & support planning
Assesses need and establishes an appropriate support package against four categories
Single assessment for all housing needs (including HB for pilot)
Assesses distance from the labour market and level of support required
Low level support needs = referrals to DWP and VCS support servicesHigh level support needs = Referral to community budgets project
Triage assessment
Review
Quick face to face assessment establishes
‘vulnerability’ of customer in the UC system
Universal credit online system
Likely to experience issues on 2 or more of categories
(inc. employment or housing)
No significant issues anticipated. Some additional signposting for financial and digital inclusion services in VCS made
available to all
Low level need = referrals to Lewisham Credit Union, online support offering for budgeting, other VCS support for financial skills
High level need = Setting up pre-paid cards and Direct debits etc, using DHP/ social fund to deal with immediate issues, a more bespoke package of debt counselling
Low level need = provide access to computers at self-serve kiosks, f2f support to access online support at our front office, signposting to free internet, computer services
High level need = web skills courses via the VCS, phased mediation of web applications (inc UC following pilot)
Low level need = Pro-active early engagement with landlords, access to schemes such as RIS, referrals to VCS support as appropriate
High level need = completes homelessness assessment and makes appropriate provision via private/ social rented sector
Letters and if required follow up meetings at pre-agreed intervals to establish whether needs are being met
Our pilot model
Social fund and community care grants
SF – Social Fund - An interest-free loan, to help with items and services needed as a result of an emergency or disaster eg lost money, fire damage.
CCG – Do not have to be paid back, to support someone entering or to remain in the community eg care leavers, ex-offenders
Previously with DWP, with LAs from April 2013 LAs to design their own schemes SF 8,160 applications, 5980 successful receiving £524k CCG - 5,940 applications, 1,690 successful receiving
£1.274m
What are we doing?
Dedicated project manager and Board SF – Exploring partnerships with CU to stimulate financial
inclusion Gathering information on other schemes, benchmarking Attended external events with DWP, JC+ and other
London boroughs Met external partners and IT providers - Family Fund, CU Organised workshops for third parties, advice bureaux
and third sector Delivery model - Stand alone in year 1, integration as part
of wider single assessment year 2 onwards
Discretionary Housing Payments
Additional DHP 2012/13 to cover shortfalls in LHA and SRR (under 35 year old restrictions)
More for 2013 (£75m cap, £30m under-occupying for foster carers and adapted properties)
Reluctant to spend for higher excesses or where conflicts with Government policy
Awards generally short term to allow those affected to make alternative arrangements