Agenda item

The Director of Finance submits a report responding to the issues raised in the annual Social Welfare Advice Partnership Report.  The Commission is recommended to receive the report and comment as appropriate.

The Director of Finance submitted a report responding to the issues raised in the annual Social Welfare Advice Partnership (SWAP) Report.

The Revenues and Benefits Manager introduced the report, reminding Members that this was a retrospective review, relating to 2015/16.  The report had been due in July 2016, but had been delayed due to cumulative delays to annual reports in other years as the SWAP developed its strategies and built its partnership.

The government’s welfare reforms had imposed a re-assessment programme to ensure that people claiming Employment and Support Allowance were eligible to receive it.  During 2015/16, SWAP campaigned/lobbied members of parliament and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) contract managers to ensure that the DWP’s third party provider of these assessments was offering access to their specified premises.  Previously, there had been no disabled access to the premises that disabled city residents were required to attend for their assessments, but they had been sanctioned for not attending.  Home visits now were offered, which had reduced the number of interventions needed by the SWA or Welfare Rights officers.

It was noted that the government’s programme to replace the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with Personal Independence Payments (PIP) was expected to be concluded by 2018.  SWAP had monitored this, providing a statistical basis in the city to inform policy decisions and showing that the transition from DLA to PIP was the main cause of the high volume of Tier 3 appeals work they had experienced.

The Revenues and Benefits Manager reminded Members that Universal Credit had been introduced in Leicester on 25 January 2016 for single claimants who were in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) (income-based).  Details of those impacted by this were included in the report.

The Chair welcomed Richard Evans, (Chief Executive of Citizens Advice LeicesterShire), and Emily Foskett, (Advice Session Supervisor, Citizens Advice LeicesterShire), to the meeting and, in accordance with Procedure Rule 8(2) of Part 4E of the Council’s Constitution, (Scrutiny Procedure Rules), invited them to address the Commission.

Richard Evans addressed the Commission, explaining that Citizens Advice Leicestershire was part of the SWAP.  The partnership had been established in 2013 and all groups and organisations providing social welfare advice across the city were able to join.  As a result, it was a diverse and developing partnership, signposting and promoting services in the city, as well as providing guidance, acting as a pressure group, providing joint communications activity (including a guide to SWA in the city), and monitoring all major statistics of concern.

He then made the following comments:

·           Leicester had a higher level of indebtedness than the national average;

·           Case studies were collated from the work being undertaken by the Partnership.  Some cases were very complex and outcomes could change significantly on appeal;

·           The SWAP had drafted a strategic action plan for the next five years.  An important element of this was the desire to maintain face-to-face contact with clients, despite moves to channel shift to electronic means of communication; and

·           Monitoring of the SWAP’s work would continue, to enable it to continue to demonstrate the impact of its services.

The Assistant City Mayor for Jobs and Skills stressed the importance of the SWAP’s work in bringing users together.  The Council’s report showed how it had responded to the issues raised by the SWAP.  This was particularly important following the removal of the national “safety net” for those on benefits, as these people now were dependent on what local authorities could provide.

She also noted that, although the number of sanctions had reduced, it was still of concern, especially for disabled people.  This could have the result of leading claimants to accumulate debt, which then affected their everyday lives.  Without the assistance of the SWAP, fewer appeals against these sanctions would be won.

The Assistant City Mayor thanked the SWAP for its work and welcomed its report.

The Commission noted that anecdotal evidence suggested that other organisations in the city also were working with a high number of people who were in financial difficulty due to the government’s recent Welfare Reforms.

Members questioned why the number of successful appeals was so high.  In reply, Mr Evans explained that this was due to poor decision-making by either third party suppliers to the DWP or the DWP’s assessors.  Additionally, the Department for Work and Pensions previously had often not sent a presenting officer to appeal hearings.  However, the DWP now was investing in resources to enable it to be represented at these hearings.

It was noted that the indices of deprivation had last been updated in 2016.  In Leicester, these generally showed that Council estates’ areas mirrored the highest levels of deprivation, so work was being done to provide advice in those communities through the Social Welfare Advice outreach contract.

A major problem for some people was how they could cope financially while their case was going through the appeal process.  Discretionary funding “safety nets” within the Council, such as the Community Support Grant crisis element, enabled emergency food and utilities to be provided to those who were most vulnerable, so were being used to address such issues.  However, this continued to put pressure on Council resources, especially as the time being taken for appeals to be processed had increased, so the length of time for which people needed this support also was increasing.  Policies therefore were being considered carefully, to ensure they continued to relate to what was happening in the community.

Ms Foskett confirmed that the number of Disability Living Allowance applications had reduced significantly over the last year, although the number of recipients had not reduced significantly. 

In addition, applications for JSA had reduced by over half in the same period.  This reflected a reduction in the number of unemployed people registered in the city from approximately 8,000 in April 2015 approximately 3,500 in December 2016.  This was the greatest improvement in the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire DWP District and showed that the city’s economy was improving.

It was noted that the SWAP hoped to have its 2016/17 report available for the Commission to scrutinise in July 2017.

On behalf of the Commission, the Chair thanked the SWAP for its work.

AGREED:

1)    That the report be noted and the way in which the Social Welfare Advice Partnership is establishing itself be welcomed;

2)    That the Social Welfare Advice Partnership’s 2016/17 Annual Report be submitted to this Commission in July 2017; and

3)    That the Scrutiny Policy Officer be asked to amend the Commission’s Work Programme to reflect 2) above.