Housing Benefit Changes April 2013 onwards Mick Lear Benefit Service
April Changes Much more change for April 2013 Council Tax Support Social rent sector restrictions Benefit Cap Social fund and community care grants
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)
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)
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? Household 207 couples with children, 606 lone parents, 9 with 7 children, 1 with 8, 4 with 9 and 1 with 12 children Weekly Losses 339 Up to £50, 269 to £100, 119 to £150 and 153 over £150, weekly, losses range from 38p to £453 Property Social 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 services High 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
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