mitigating the impact of welfare reform in scotland

Zoe CharlesworthPolicy in Practice

Mitigating the impact of

Welfare Reform

Thursday 7 September 2017

Agenda

1. About Policy in Practice

2. Targeting resources

3. How support is delivered

4. Final thoughts

We make the welfare system simple to understand, so that people can make the decisions that are right for them

www.policyinpractice.co.uk

SOFTWARE

individual impact

CONSULTANC

local impact

POLICY

national impact

Mitigating the impact for claimants

Who to target?

What support is needed?

How is support delivered?

1. Who to target?

Pro-active identification• Data analysis / client tracking

• Dependant on organisational requirements eg:

1. To protect rents: • Tenants with arrears and no monthly income and no savings

• Self-employed with no savings

2. Homelessness prevention: • Private tenants with no non non-dependants, savings or monthly earnings

3. Households that will lose under UC:• Those losing ESA WRAG/disability premiums. Self-employed

On-demand

2. What support is needed?

• Self-identification of need

• Triage• What is the trigger?• Do you have the rights tools?

Triage

Triage

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

3. How is support delivered?

• Self-service toolsSimple and easy to useEasily accessibleEngaging

• Support tools Benefits calculatorAdvice and support

How is support delivered?Using a calculator as a tool

How is support delivered? Client-focused advice

• Personalised

• Relevant

• Action-focused

Client preparedness - knowledge

Calculator example

How is support delivered? budgeting

Budgeting

- During 6 week wait and ongoing

- Impact of landlord payments?

- Impact of advance payments?

- Weekly earnings against monthly UC?

Budgeting support

How is support delivered?Monthly UC, weekly income

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

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Questions

www.policyinpractice.co.uk

Thank you

Zoe Charlesworthzoe@policyinpractice.co.uk

hello@policyinpractice.co.uk0330 088 9242

Some questions from attendees

1. What resources or tools do you suggest for those vulnerable people and those with little or no IT skills?

2. To what extent are customers willing to accept assisted payment?

3. Can those on UC afford the rent we are going to be charging them?

4. To what extent should organisations consider a tenant's broader credit commitments, and how they are servicing these, to better understand budgeting and prioritising different debts

5. At what point in time was it best to start engaging with customers?