Agenda item

City Council officers will be at the meeting to explain the forthcoming changes to benefits.

Karen Wenlock, Revenues and Benefits Manager with Leicester City Council, gave a presentation on forthcoming changes to benefits.  A copy of this is attached at the end of these minutes for information.

During the presentation, particular attention was drawn to the following:-

·           Significant changes were being made to the Shared Accommodation Rate.  These only affected single people under the age of 35, but could result in the financial loss to some people;

·           Each Council had to reduce its current expenditure on Council Tax Benefit, (which would become Council Tax Support in April 2013), by 10%.  Pensioners could not be affected by changes made in support, so the biggest impact would be on working age people.

The Council currently was holding a public consultation on how it proposed to make these savings.  To participate, people could complete a questionnaire.  This was available either on-line or in leaflets, copies of which were available at the meeting.  The consultation was due to end on 30 October 2012.

·           Benefit income would be capped at £500 per week for families or lone parents and £350 for single people.  This included an allowance for housing, so could result in a significant reduction in benefits paid to some people.  However, there were various exemptions;

·           New restrictions on Housing Benefit would only be applied to working age customers in social housing.  Pensioners would not be affected;

·           Tenants in local authority and housing association properties could face a cut in their Housing Benefit if they were considered to be in a property that was too big for them.  For example, children under 10 would be expected to share a room.  However, an allowance was made for non-resident carers;

·           Discretionary Housing Payments would be increased to cover some of the losses being experienced by customers, but the government had not increased the grant to the Council by enough to enable all losses to be covered.  Each case therefore would have to be considered on its merits;

·           Various changes to other benefits also were being made.  For example, Disability Living Allowance would no longer be a life-time award, as it was being replaced by Personal Independence Payments.  To receive these, people would have to meet tougher criteria and the payments would be reviewed periodically;

·           Universal Credit would be a new benefit for claimants, whether in or out of work.  Payments for housing costs would be included in this, as would tax credits;

·           The Council currently was considering the implications of these changes, as many customers would be affected by multiple changes to their benefits; and

·           Further information on these changes was available on the Council’s website;

·           The Money Advice Service was an external agency that could provide further information on these changes.  People could make an appointment to see someone from the service either by contacting the Service direct or through the Council.

During discussion on this, it was noted that:-

o    To make an enquiry in relation to someone’s personal circumstances, it would be best to contact the City Council’s Revenues and Benefits section by telephone (0116 252 7006), on-line (www.leicester.gov.uk/housingbenefits ), or in person at Wellington House, 22-32 Wellington Street;

o    Staff in the Revenues and Benefits service were working with staff in other services, (for example, Housing Options and Housing Management), to try to help those affected; and

o    A project team currently was considering how people would be advised of the forthcoming changes and help available to ensure they got what they were entitled to.