are you evaluating universal benefit and budgeting calculators?
TRANSCRIPT
Policy in PracticeWebinar: Are you evaluating Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculators?Wednesday 20 July 2016
Housekeeping• Audio check• Please ask questions • Poll and a survey• Finish by 11:30
Speakers
Peter CarterPolicy in Practice
Deven GhelaniPolicy in Practice
Agenda• Introduction to Policy in Practice• Welfare reform roadmap to 2020• Our approach: local data + our software• A look at our software• Case studies and feedback from frontline advisors• Next steps
We make the welfare system simple to understand, so that people can make the decisions that are right for them
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Over to Deven
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
SOFTWAREindividual impact
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Every household counts:
The importance of a household level view
What if you could see that:
“Mrs Biggins at 73 Acacia Terrace will be affected by all welfare changes by £15.62 per week, particularly Universal Credit and
she has high barriers to work”
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Why is this important?• Members want to know• How else can you decide on your local support scheme?• Which residents do you contact, and how do you prioritise?• How much rental income is at risk?• You have a statutory obligation and ethos to protect the vulnerable• You need to be able to deliver more with less
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Over to Peter
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Powerful softwareHelping people make decisions that are right for them
Key benefits
Powerful softwareOur Universal Benefit Calculator is fast, accurate and simple to use. It compares the current system and Universal Credit side-by-side. Advisors don’t need to be policy experts to explain the welfare system and what the changes will mean.
This allows you to:• simplify frontline conversations• explain complex changes using visuals and colour• support all advisors using information they can trust• help people make decisions that are right for them
Universal Benefit and Budgeting CalculatorThe software:
• Works offline – helpful for home visits in rural areas• Includes a self-service option for tenants – saving advisors time
and promoting inclusion• Can be customised – to reflect your priorities and tone of voice• Includes built in help, training and live chat support for advisors• Uses colour, visuals and simple language
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Have conversations about action plans rather than data entry
Frontline advisors can …
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Explain complex changes using visuals and colour
Frontline advisors can …
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Refer to the built-in help tips and live chat functionality, using information they can trust
Frontline advisors can …
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Help people make decisions that are right for them
Frontline advisors can …
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“The best reaction I got was a customer who stated ‘I am definitely getting a job now’.”
Frontline advisor
“It is very quick to use so it was not taking up all our time during the meeting. It left more time to discuss the results with the customer.”
Frontline advisor
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“I think the calculator is brilliant and really easy to use, it can email and print out calculations and the comparison was fab.”
Frontline advisor
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“I will definitely be using this in the future, a very good tool to have.”
Frontline advisor
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It is very quick to use so it was not taking up all our time during the meeting it left more time to discuss the results with the customer.
I will definitely be using this in the future, a very good tool to have.
I think the calculator is brilliant and really easy to use, it can email and print out calculations and the comparison was fab
The best reaction I got was a customer that stated "I am definitely getting a job now“.
Feedback from frontline advisors
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"The Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator is different. Its outcome-based approach has been very powerful and has really helped us to change behaviour of both our residents and advisors." Inga Spencer, LB Hillingdon
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“For us, as well as mitigating against the risks brought by welfare reforms, there was a huge opportunity to try and do something different, to promote opportunity, and that is still our aim.” Danielle Henry, Buckinghamshire County Council
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“Deven understood what our needs were and listened to how we intended to use the calculator as part of our pilot. His detailed knowledge of the current benefit system and UC, combined with his technical expertise to build online tools of this type made him the ideal person to work with us on this.” Justine Roberts, Lewisham Council
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“Our tenants are facing increased pressure on their budgets as a result of welfare reforms. This is one of the key reasons why we chose Policy in Practice's Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator software. It allows us to provide better income and budgeting support to our tenants.” Linda Tookey, First Wessex Housing Association
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“The software is so user friendly and has a lot of really useful added features. It’s also the only one that’s UC compatible. “There are lots of intuitive features in there which mean that an advisor doesn’t have to be a benefits expert.”
Jemma Johnstone, Serco
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“The UBC has a better range of scenarios, for instance it takes into account the cost of free school meals. “It has better information so you don’t have to guess - it can work out average rents and utilities consumption.” Serco subcontractor
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“Any software is only as good as its implementation and the support we’ve had from the team to bed in the new service has been a massive benefit to us.” Jemma Johnstone, Serco
Proactive steps now can mitigate the impact of reforms
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
• Your Homes Newcastle targeted rental income at risk from welfare reforms using Policy in Practice
• YHN manages homes for Newcastle City Council
• Housing stock of 27,000+ properties
• YHN and NCC worked with Policy in Practice to identify the impact of welfare reforms on each individual household
• They use the Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator to train staff and engage affected residents
Council and ALMO working together
The challenges 1. Understand the cumulative impact of welfare reforms
2. Support tenants to budget under Universal Credit, and take action to avoid the impact of the Benefit Cap
3. Create efficiencies for staff; who may need training on reforms, and help in having broader conversations with residents
4. Opportunity to help tenants to self serve, and avoid having to tell their story more than once.
YHN: how the analysis helps us
“We identified rental income at risk from the impacts of welfare
reform.
We can now proactively reach out to people in a preventative way.”
YHN: how the software helps us
“The action plan isn’t just words, it’s visual.
If someone isn’t improving their circumstances we’ve got
something in place to review with them and look at their support
options.”
The impact1. Proactive support given
• Understanding of the impact of recent welfare reforms• Projected impact of planned and future reforms, including Universal
Credit• Understanding of the cumulative impact of reforms across the city
2. Preventative approach adopted• Help residents understand the impact of welfare reform on their
finances• Improved support to residents who need it most, preventing some from
being affected by welfare changes and lessening the impact on others• Understand the potential impact of reforms on YHN’s balance sheet
3. At risk income identified• Seven figure sum of rental income at risk from 500 households most
affected by lower benefit cap
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Questions?
Next stepsComplete the automated survey immediately after this webinar to:
1. Request case studies2. Request a 30 day software trial3. Request pricing details
How we can help you1. Get the facts
Analysis and household level dataset will help you to set the strategic direction, and develop a programme / plan of activity.
2. Focus your support programmesThe council can target support at ward, postcode and individual household level.
3. Have better frontline conversationsSimple, smart software helps people make decisions that are right for them
We can help you deliver welfare reforms whilst supporting your most vulnerable residents as effectively as possible
