1. Universal Credit Digital Champions in Libraries 17 th Sept 2015

2. 2 One simple payment Paid monthly For people in and out of work Use PAYE in real time information (RTI) Universal Credit Income based Jobseekers Allowance Income related Employment and Support Allowance Working Tax Credits Child Tax Credit Income Support Housing Benefit Universal Credit – overview

3. 3 Universal Credit - it’s all about work Universal Credit aims to reward work Universal Credit will encourage a new type of relationship with claimants Universal Credit aims to support jobseekers through the Claimant Commitment Universal Credit claimants are expected to use Universal Jobmatch

4. 4 What’s different about Universal Credit? IT ENCOURAGES WORK IT’S LIKE WORK IT’S ABOUT WORK PAID MONTHLY PAID DIRECTLYTO THE CLAIMANT CLAIMANT COMMITMENT IS LIKE A CONTRACT IN AND OUT OF WORK CLAIMANT COMMITMENT REQUIREMENTS FULL TIME WORK SEARCH EARNINGS, NOT HOURS A TAPER SO BETTER OFF IN WORK EASY TRANSITION FROM UNIVERSAL CREDIT TO WORK (AND BACK)

5. 5 Making Work pay Universal Credit helps to ensure people are better off in work than on benefits by: Removing the limit to the number of hours someone can work each week Reducing a claimant’s Universal Credit payment gradually as their earnings increase, so they won’t lose all their benefits at once if they’re on a low income

6. Universal Credit claimant journey I get information or advice about how to claim Universal Credit. I receive a telephone call inviting me to attend an interview in the jobcentre. I attend my interview at the jobcentre, taking along any paperwork that has been asked for. I sign my Claimant Commitment, which records the activities I’ve agreed to do in return for receiving Universal Credit. I receive my Universal Credit decision letter. It tells me when I will receive my payments, and confirms what I need to do in return for getting Universal Credit. I telephone the helpline if there is a change in my circumstances, including if I start work. My Claimant Commitment is reviewed and may be changed to take into account my new situation. I make my claim online at GOV.UK. If I need help, I can telephone the Universal Credit helpline for assistance. I receive an email (or text message if no email address) to remind me about my interview at the jobcentre. I undertake my agreed activities. I can get advice on jobseeking, budgeting and going online from my work coach. I regularly visit the jobcentre where my work coach and I discuss the actions we’ve agreed in my Work Plan. If a change in my circumstances means my Universal Credit payments change, I receive a letter confirming the new details.

7. 7 Labour Market conditionality Labour market conditionality is the term we use to describe what claimants must do to receive working-age benefit payments Our welfare system is based on a two way contract: we do everything we can to help people find work, but equally we expect claimants to do everything they can to find work as well We have a role to make sure that people fulfil their obligations for receiving benefit and that we apply conditionality fairly and consistently. That is a fair deal for the claimant and fair to the taxpayer Sanctions are not about punishment. They are about encouraging people to job search relentlessly until they are successful.

8. 8 Claimant Commitment Individually tailored to take account of someone’s circumstances Outlines what a claimant must do in return for their benefit Sets out clearly the consequences of not meeting Claimant Commitment Claimant Commitment reviewed on a regular basis Work Claimant Work Coach Claimant CreateAccept Work Requirements

9. 9 Work Coaches should make it clear, and ensure that the claimant has understood, what the requirements are to receive benefit and what the consequences will be if they fail to meet those requirements. Conditionality should be tailored to the individual circumstances of each claimant within the constraints of the law. A disallowance or sanction should never come as a surprise to a claimant.

10. 10 Tailoring the Claimant Commitment Victims of Domestic Violence (Easement) Homeless Claimants (Easement) Domestic Emergency Care Leavers Lone Parents Volunteering Refugee Drugs & Alcohol Dependency

11. 11 JSA – Extended Period of Sickness (EPS) From 30 March 215, claimants who suffer a third or longer period of sickness can choose to stay on JSA (rather than claim ESA) for up to 13 weeks. The EPS is one continuous period of 13 weeks or less and cannot be split into separate periods. Claimants are treated as available during an EPS. Depending on the expected length and reason for the illness, the work coach will tailor work search requirements to the revised personal circumstances of the claimant. Work search requirements may be reduced or turned off completely but claim may be disallowed if claimant fails to undertake whatever activities are required of them. NB: An EPS is one exception when a revised CC is not required; any amendments will be recorded in LMS Conversations instead.

12. 12 Universal Credit

13. 13 Local Area Support for claimants with complex needs Budgeting Work Online Housing Support for claimants LA Services National Partners Local Partners Jobcentre Plus

14. 14 UC gateway for single claimant Couples and people with dependent children are excluded from the UC ‘single’ claimant gateway for national roll out. In order to claim UC the single claimant with no children must: Have a National Insurance Number. Be in the correct postcode area. Be aged between 18 and 60 and 6 months. Not own or partially own the home they live in. Not be homeless or living in temporary or supported accommodation. Be a British citizen. Have lived in the United Kingdom (UK) for last 2 years. Not be required to pay child maintenance for a child. Not in receipt of a disability benefit. Not be unfit for work. Not be pregnant or given birth in the last 15 weeks. Not be a carer. Require a Personal Acting Body (PAB) or Corporate Acting Body (CAB). Not be in education or training or expect to start in next month. Not be self-employed.

15. 15 UC Gateway for single claimant Not be a company director or part of a limited liability partnership. Be unemployed or have household earnings below an agreed threshold (to be agreed), and each have individual earnings of less than £330 a month if over 25years and £270 if under 25years. Have capital of less than £6000. Have a bank, building society, post office or credit union account. Not receive old rules Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) and Income Support (IS). Not challenging/appealing a decision on ESA, JSA, IB, SDA, IS, Housing Benefit (HB) and Working Tax Credit (WTC). Not waiting a decision on ESA, JSA, WTC, HB and IS. Not be staying away from their main home. Not be responsibility for children/qualifying young persons who are fostered, adopted or being looked after. Not be responsible for children/qualifying young persons who are registered blind or have a disability benefit

16. 16 Delivering the policy – how Universal Credit is rolling out to eligible claimants The test and learn approach to Universal Credit has allowed us to continuously improve Budgeting Support Data sharing Universal Support - delivered locally Management of Universal Credit housing cost element

17. 17 Offered to anyone claiming Universal Credit Now included as part of the work coach role Online budgeting tools for claimants who are able to self-help. Worked closely with the Money Advice Service to produce a range of products Money advice services offered via the LA using a mix of face to face and telephony support Longer term will be delivered via Universal Support – delivered locally through delivery partnership agreements The Universal Credit personal planner on GOV.UK: https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/universal-credit-preparation/ https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/universal-credit-preparation/ Personal Budgeting Support - Money Advice

18. 18 For a minority of claimants, Alternative Payment Arrangements may be required; these might include –DWP will pay housing costs directly to the landlord (managed payment to landlord) –making payments more frequent than monthly –splitting the payment within the household Option to make managed payments directly to the landlord if a claimant reaches a certain level of rent arrears (usually 2 Calendar months / 8 weeks) Considered on a case by case basis and assessed on their individual needs The decision about whether an Alternative Payment Arrangement is suitable will be made by a Universal Credit Decision Maker All Alternative Payment Arrangements are subject to review Personal Budgeting Support – Alternative Payment Arrangements

19. 19 Alternative Payment Arrangements: consideration factors Highly likely / probable need for Alternative Payment Arrangements Drug / alcohol and / or other addiction problems e.g. gambling Learning difficulties including problems with literacy and/or numeracy Severe / multiple debt problems In temporary and / or supported accommodation Homeless Domestic violence / abuse Mental Health Condition Currently in rent arrears / threat of eviction / repossession Claimant is young: either a 16/17 year old and / or a Care leaver Families with multiple and complex needs Less likely / possible need for Alternative Payment Arrangements Third party deductions in place (e.g. for fines, utility arrears etc.) Claimant is a refugee / asylum seeker History of rent arrears Previously homeless and / or in supported accommodation Other disability (e.g. physical disability, sensory impairment etc.) Claimant has just left prison Claimant has just left hospital Recently bereaved Language skills (e.g. English not spoken as the ‘first language’). Ex Service personnel NEETs - Not in Education, Employment or Training

21. Digital Jobcentres: The Story So Far The Case for Digital Jobcentres The Digital Challenges Digital Jobcentres – Background Digital Jobcentre Model How it will work in practice Accessibility Evaluation

22. Digital Jobcentres: The Next Chapter Create your Digital Jobcentre Environment CREATE OWN BUILD Build your Work Coach Delivery Model Own your Digital Development Digital Jobcentres Scotland: Minimum Standards

23. Digital Jobcentres: The Next Chapter Progress Assess Visualise Setting clear objectives and understanding the possibilities Identifying areas of opportunity for innovation Creating clear plans to turn new ideas into action

24. 24 The Universal Credit digital service We have been successfully testing the new Universal Credit digital service, developed by our own in-house teams, in the London Borough of Sutton Following the success delivery of this test we are now expanding this service to Croydon in June with further expansion scheduled for November 2015 The digital service lets us test and learn how Universal Credit works with the full range of claimants, no matter how complex their needs or circumstances. The service is designed to work as well on a mobile as on a computer, making it easier for claimants to access the service in a way that suits them There’s one online account for payments, reporting changes of circumstance, and getting job alerts and work coach feedback Learning from this test will inform the future development of our digital service as we rollout Universal Credit gradually across Great Britain

25. 25 Universal Credit Rollout

26. 26 UC Expansion Tranche 1 CouncilGo Live Date Highland16/02/15 West Dunbartonshire09/03/15 North Lanarkshire09/03/15 City of Edinburgh09/03/15 Scottish Borders27/04/15 Midlothian27/04/15 East Lothian27/04/15 North Ayrshire27/04/15 Dumfries & Galloway27/04/15

27. 27 UC Expansion Tranche 2 CouncilGo Live Date Orkney11/05/15 Shetland11/05/15 Western Isles11/05/15 Aberdeenshire25/05/15 Falkirk25/05/15 Stirling25/05/15 Clackmannanshire25/05/15 Glasgow08/06/15 Renfrewshire22/06/15

28. 28 Tranche 3: September 2015 – November 2015 Local authorityJobcentre area Aberdeen CityAberdeen Ebury House Dundee CityDundee Wellgate InverclydeGreenock Port Glasgow South AyrshireAyr Girvan South LanarkshireCambuslang East Kilbride Hamilton Lanark Rutherglen West LothianBathgate Broxburn Livingston

29. 29 Tranche 4: December 2015 – April 2016 Local AuthorityJobcentre Area AngusArbroath JCP Forfar JCP Montrose JCP Argyll & ButeCampbeltown JCP Dunoon JCP Helensburgh JCP Oban JCP Rothesay JCP East AyrshireCumnock JCP Kilmarnock JCP East DunbartonshireKirkintilloch JCP East RenfrewshireBarrhead JCP FifeCowdenbeath JCP Cupar JCP Dunfermline JCP Glenrothes JCP Kirkcaldy JCP Leven JCP St. Andrews JCP Perth & KinrossBlairgowrie JCP Perth JCP

30. 30 Thank You Any questions?