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