Agenda item

The Director of Finance submits a report providing an update on welfare reform initiatives impacting locally, current benefits performance statistics and future developments.  The Commission is recommended to note the report and comment on the observations contained in it.

The Director of Finance submitted a report that provided an update as to the welfare reform initiatives which impacted locally, current benefits performance statistics and future developments.

Assistant City Mayor Russell commented that the council were in a position of very limited control but they did what they could to mitigate the impact on the most vulnerable.

The Head of Revenue and Benefits presented the report and explained that the second ‘tranche’ of the Universal Credit roll out across the country had just recently been announced, but Leicester was not included in that ‘tranche’. The city would however see some universal credit claimants if they moved to Leicester from another area.

Members considered the impact of the benefit cap as the number of households affected by this reform had increased.  They questioned what could be done to help people in this group and concerns were expressed about children who were living in abject poverty. Views were expressed that those children would be disadvantaged in their future prospects.  The Head of Revenue and Benefits responded that they were working to identify the families that were in this group. 27% of the discretionary housing budget had been awarded to homes affected by this reform.

Members considered the Community Support Grant (CSG) and Assistant City Mayor Russell explained that an element of this grant was being used to fund the Pass It On Scheme. Members heard that the feedback from customers illustrated that they were really pleased with the service.   Members noted that 1055 people had been refused the CSG in 2013/14 and queried the reasons for this. The Head of Revenue and Benefits explained that some applications would have been refused because insufficient information had been submitted so the need for support had not been demonstrated. However an Appeals Officer was looking into those refusals to make sure that the correct decision had been made. Refusals may also have been made because the Department of Work and Pensions offered support which was more appropriate.

The Chair stated that it would be useful to have further information on the process for agreeing or rejecting applications for the CSG and suggested that a small group of councillors could meet to consider this further. This matter could then be referred to the Overview Select Committee. A comment was made that as the CSG scheme was ‘in house’, there was some flexibility to change the criteria rules if necessary.

Concern was expressed that people might not know how to apply for help from the CSG. Assistant City Mayor Russell responded that there were a number of advice providers in the City and various organisations could give out crisis vouchers where appropriate.

Members were advised that there had been a Local Government Final Settlement 2015/16 Consultation to which the City Mayor had recently responded. At the request of the commission, it was agreed that the Scrutiny Policy Officer would circulate this response to commission members.

RESOLVED:

1)    that the report be noted; and

2)    that a meeting be arranged with a small group of members to consider the process of agreeing or rejecting the Community Support Grant.