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Graham Mowat, DWP

Support and Exceptions Working Group (SEWG) Universal Credit & Personal Budgeting Support Update Teleconference – 9th July 2013 version: 1.0. Graham Mowat, DWP. Pathfinder.

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Graham Mowat, DWP

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  1. Support and Exceptions Working Group (SEWG)Universal Credit & Personal Budgeting Support UpdateTeleconference – 9th July 2013 version: 1.0 Graham Mowat, DWP

  2. Pathfinder As planned expanded to Wigan taking new claims to Universal Credit, planned to expand into Oldham and Warrington at the end of July. IT systems and operational services are up and running and available to staff and claimants both in Wigan and Ashton –under-Lyne. Testing Universal Credit through a careful and controlled approach with a small set of claimants. As their circumstances change, Pathfinder will test more complex processes. We are learning from Pathfinder, applying lessons from live testing and quality checking to inform progressive rollout. The majority of claims in Ashton –under-Lyne have been made online and most claimants found the process relatively easy. Claimants are making use of the internet services provided by the Local Authorities. We are already seeing people moving into work as you would expect with this claimant group.

  3. Pathfinder Feedback from Oldham, Warrington and Wigan Jobcentres on the claimant commitment remains positive. Anecdotal evidence suggests claimants feel more ‘invested in’ and ‘impressed’ that the Department are interested in them and their progress to work. The IT system is working as expected and has been consistently available since go live. Real Time Information is working as planned. Our Service Centres in Bolton and Glasgow have been dealing with enquiries, new claim action and change of circumstances. High rate of access to the Universal Credit service via the website. Managing Universal Credit claims through our Operations Control Centre allowing us to improve practical details of the process.

  4. Local Support Services (LSS) Close to agreement with Local Authority associations about the management of local funding. This will provide a basis for Commercial colleagues to start developing the Overarching Partnership Agreement document, basically a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and the LA Associations. Will include a template Delivery Partnership Agreement that will allow LSS services to be commissioned from partner organisations at local level to support claimants. Local Funding LSS Outcomes • The LSS team have also been working with the LA associations to examine the measurable outcomes that the LSSF should be looking to deliver and will be working through a Straw Man approach to measuring LSSF outcomes with the LA Associations. • We are also planning to involve the LSS Housing and Voluntary Sector Reference Group in this work to help draw on the expertise of these sectors.

  5. Local Support Services (LSS) The LSSF Volumetrics Working Group is developing models that will estimate the total cost of funding the LSS nationally and will also guide how available resources get divided up between LAs. The group is using data supplied by LAs about how long specific services will take to deliver and we are also approaching specific Housing and Voluntary Sector stakeholders to better understand the costs of providing support to specific claimants (e.g. deaf/blind claimants). Once we are happy with the modelling work we will enter formal negotiations with HMT about a final allocation to support LSS. LSS Volumes

  6. Personal Budgeting Support Further successful workshops with Minister, Secretary of State, DCLG and HM Treasury sharing work to date on ensuring payment of housing costs (rent) under UC and agreed rent arrears trigger for Pathfinder. Lord Freud speech to the CIH 27th June 2013. Continuing to work closely with Housing Policy Division to develop persistent underpayment of rentarrears policy for Pathfinder. The business process now in place to deal with these trigger cases has now been designed with a view to introduction into the Pathfinder in September. Continuing to Support development of UC Learning & Development APA guidance for pathfinder staff. Feedback from Pathfinder Learning & Development Officers (LDO’s) used to refine training modules. ‘Training for Trainers’ event with Pathfinder LDO’s held 6th June 2013. Held a successful workshop with Housing Associations (HAs) in Pathfinder area on 20th June.

  7. Personal Budgeting Support Working with Consumer Focus to host a workshop of the major utility companies (and related stakeholders) to develop a UC future relationship model. Wigan pathfinder site went live on 01.07.13, with PBS in place at Wigan LA who have established good working relationship with Wigan JC+ office and they are keen to positively promote the PBS offer to UC claimants. Continuing to support implementation of the detailed business processes for APA in pathfinder, involving closer working with the HA s, the implementation team and linked LAs - workshops held 2nd July. Continuing to support and monitor APA detailed business process updates for pathfinder with the Bolton Operation Control Centre as we ‘learn as we go’ during live running. Continue to input into Q&A and briefing requests around the APA service design. Revise and update the APA service design and delivery as part of the UC blueprint ensuring fit with wider UC approach covering non standard claimants and the next phase of the local support services framework.

  8. Personal Budgeting Support Revise and update the APA service design and delivery as part of the UC blueprint ensuring fit with wider UC approach covering non standard claimants and the next phase of the local support services framework. Data sharing / MOU work nearing completion with Pathfinder LAs so we can do a 'warm handoff' rather than a 'cold transfer‘.

  9. Claimant Preparation (financial) We have re-focused some of the work of the PBS team to concentrate on the broader considerations of preparing claimants for the financial changes that UC bring. Sandra Robinson will lead this supported by Stuart Walton and Elaine Baker. The team is mobilising to determine the full scope of the work. Priorities • National Support Summary including online and other resources & tools - Produce a comprehensive summary of all available national tools, and resources particularly those available online. • Inform LSS proposition - Use the knowledge and experience gained in designing and implementing PBS to support the LSS team in developing a proposition for delivering LSS

  10. Claimant Preparation (financial) Ensuring payment of rent - To take forward the next steps on “ensuring the payment of rent under UC” as agreed with DCLG and HMT. In particular to develop plans for increasing the role of social landlords. Set up a SEWG ‘landlords’ sub-group to support this work. Budgeting Club - To develop plans to promote and embed the Budgeting Club approach as a standalone solution, and as part of the LSS PBS toolkit (subject to the Evaluation Report due imminently). Universal Credit Personal Planner (UCPP) - To develop future iterations of the UCPP; next version due end of August; evaluation underway with UC Communications and User Interface Teams; scoping document re-drafted. Next Steps

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