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Housing and Council Tax Benefit Services Good Practice Examples: Housing and Council Tax Benefit Services
Projects featured:
Telford and Wrekin Council Revenues and Benefits Services
Name of take up project
Working Age Benefit Take-up.
Objectives
Increase benefit take-up by working age people.
Target group
Following the success of the Telford and Wrekin Pension LPSA2 project (May 2006 – March 2008), which saw Pensioner income increase by £1.9 million in the Borough it was decided to target, working-age people. Its three main areas of focus were:
But it also covered entitlement to other benefits including JSA, incapacity benefit, disability living allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
How was it funded?
Initially money from the LPSA2 Fund funded the post of a welfare benefit co-ordinator. This post is now funded directly from the Revenues and Benefits department of the Council. The post is temporary up to 31st March 2009, although it is hoped that this may be extended based on the working-age take-up results.
How was it run?
A referral scheme operates whereby partners and Council staff are informed / trained and then asked to complete a simple referral form when they come in to contact with a person who they think may be entitled to other benefits. The referrals are sent to the partnership co-ordinator who then makes contact with the customer (mostly by phone, but sometimes face-to-face) and talks through their circumstances. The co-ordinator will then calculate what extra help they may be entitled to (which is not always financial, eg - referral to community mental health team) and either helps the customer fill out the relevant forms or refers them on to the relevant agency. The co-ordinator will then keep a check on any claims made, chase them up where necessary (including speaking to the customer) and then record the result of the claim.
Referrals are received from LPSA 2 partners (Carers Contact, Health through Warmth) and from within the Council from our Benefit Assessment Team, Recovery Team, Contact Centre, Social Services etc. Community awareness events are run, eg - events in the main shopping centre and a table in local supermarket foyers. Partners are invited from the voluntary sector and other areas of the Council to attend the events in the Town Centre and encouraged to attend all community events invited to.
Currently lists of our housing benefit and council tax benefit customers are being matched with our free school meal customers to see if there are any gaps in people claiming income support. Council Tax recovery lists are being analysed and contact made with those who owe money to see if they are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to.
Impact
Weekly benefits so far: council tax benefit (£35.35); tax credits ( £702.62) disability living allowance middle rate care ( £184.75). In three months this equates to £47,981.44 extra annual income so far for the Borough.
Lessons learned
Contact
Rebecca Low, Benefit Control Team Manager, Telford and Wrekin Council, e-mail: Rebecca.low@telford.gov.uk
Bassetlaw District Council (in partnership with Nottinghamshire WR)
Name of take up project
“It’s a hand up” campaign
Objectives
Bassetlaw District Council produced a quick housing benefit checker, which tells the customer instantly what the maximum income cut off point is (using a spreadsheet and a simple formula which is updated every April with new rates). It is very versatile and includes pocket-sized versions and full size posters.
In April 08 it was included on a joint attendance allowance, disability living allowance, council tax benefit campaign with Welfare rights, the local Pension Service and the seven other local authorities in Nottinghamshire.
Target group
Any group can be targeted with tailored checkers but an example is included of the most common client groups.
How was it funded?
The joint campaign with Welfare Rights and Pension Service was funded in part by Welfare Rights and the remainder of the costs shared between the 8 local authorities in Nottinghamshire that took part. Radio slots were approx £4000 and each local authority then paid £250 for printing costs.
A mailshot and checker card for our working-age campaign will cost considerably less as the checkers are produced and now more easily adapted. Costs of producing tailored checkers for other local authorities is available from Andrew.Burton@bassetlaw.gov.uk
How was it run?
A joint strategy group was formed between local Welfare Rights in Nottinghamshire, and the local Pension Service.
Customers called BBC radio action-line who issued the information packs with a central contact centre number for Nottinghamshire. Calls were referred to the local Pension Service and welfare rights officers for follow up visits or claim assistance and results were monitored.
BBC radio action-line advertised the campaign aimed at the over 60s and disabled people in Nottinghamshire, or their carers or families. Press releases went out to local newspapers at the same time. An information pack, including the checkers was sent to them and a follow up visit arranged for those wanting help to claim.
The current campaign targets those of working age and lone parents who may have previously not been eligible and have maintenance which is now disregarded. A tailor-made checker will be sent with examples, using the Telford and Wrekin database, whilst using posters and press releases to highlight the change in legislation and encourage new claims.
Impact
There were over 500 requests for packs, but numbers following up those requests were slightly disappointing. However, an estimated £100K in additional benefits gained in Nottinghamshire that would have otherwise gone unclaimed.
Lessons learned
Contact
Elaine Simmonds, Benefits Manager, Bassetlaw District Council and Notts HB Forum. elaine.simmonds@bassetlaw.gov.uk
North Yorkshire Welfare Benefits Unit
Name of project
Great News.
Objectives
To raise awareness about the October 2008 rule in housing and council tax benefit to disregard all child maintenance.
Target group
Separated parents receiving child maintenance.
How is it funded?
The costs of production of the leaflets are shared nine ways by the eight local authorities and the North Yorkshire Welfare Benefits Unit. The Welfare Benefits Unit also contributes time spent at meetings, meeting space and all the co-ordination work.
How is it run?
The independent North Yorkshire WeIfare Benefits Unit leads it, in partnership, with all nine district councils in York and North Yorkshire. 60,000 leaflets have been distributed to child minders, nurseries, schools, Post Offices, libraries etc. The district councils are also contacting any claimants who claimed HB/CTB before the regulation change in October 2008
but were unsuccessful because their maintenance took them over the income limit.
Impact
This is a recent campaign; results will be available in March 2009.
Lessons learned
Experience from similar campaigns in North Yorkshire has shown the following elements make for a successful campaign:
Contact
Heather Theobold, Unit Co-ordinator, Welfare Benefits Unit. heather.theobold@welfare-benefits-unit.org.uk
Easington District Council
Easington have produced a DVD to promote claiming benefits and accessing help from the Housing Benefit service.
Objectives
To address low levels of literacy.
Target groups
Potential housing and council tax benefit claimants with low literacy levels.
How it was run?
Easington Council did some research and found that a high proportion of residents had literacy problems and produced a corporate DVD sent to all residents giving info on all services across the district.
The DVD is used at all presentations and take-up events as a backdrop to an information desk with leaflets etc. giving balloons and pens to interested people, This is usually done in conjunction with partners: DWP; Age Concern; Welfare Rights; CAB; Warm Homes Campaign etc
The DVD has been passed to service providers as well as groups who have responsibility for residents who we would normally expect to be eligible to apply for benefit. The DVD is sent to prospective claimants who received state benefits but not HB/CTB.
Contact
Charlie Thompson, District of Easington Council’s BenefitManager, email:
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