Universal Credit in Dorset – Let’s talk 3! Update from Citizens Advice 12 September 2019 Caroline Buxton Executive Manager, Citizens Advice in Dorset

What else is happening locally What else can we be doing? UC Update Universal Credit: what issues we are seeing for people making and managing a claim How Citizens Advice is working locally and nationally to support the roll-out of UC What else is happening locally What else can we be doing?  

What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: Clients helped - Dorset & BCP Aug 2017 – July 2018 Aug 2018 – July 2019 % change Benefits and Tax Credits 8,154 7,931 -3% Benefits: Universal Credit 2,353 4,097 +74% Debt 3,543 3,562 +1% Housing 3,511 -1%

What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: UC Issues - Dorset & BCP 2017/18 2018/19 Initial claim 2,691 4,986 Housing element 651 1,008 Disability element 339 601 Deductions 156 424 Limited capability for work 8 364 Conditionality & Commitment 152 295 Calculation of income, earnings, capital 6 223

Clusters of issues [example]  

The rules about claiming ‘legacy benefits’ are complex. What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: Is UC the right benefit to claim? The rules about claiming ‘legacy benefits’ are complex. New Style JSA is only based on Class 1 NI contributions New Style ESA can be based on either or both Class 1 and Class 2 NI contributions, so self-employed people may be entitled People don’t always know what they have paid; Service Centres can check NI records, but Jobcentre staff can’t There can be advantages to not claiming UC if a legacy benefit can be claimed. People with a Severe Disability Premium cannot claim UC (the ‘SDP Gateway’). Mixed age couples (one over Pension age) making a new claim now claim UC.

What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: Making a Claim Online process: some questions are now clearer. A checklist that tells people what info is needed helps - eg. tenancy information [landlord’s details, split between rent and service charges]. Online ID verification seldom works, so people have to book an ID interview and then need a separate Commitments interview. Sometimes these can be on the same day. Phoning the Helpline for a first appointment can be quick and appointments at Weymouth JCP are often available within a couple of days. Phoning the Helpline for other queries can mean long waits with Vivaldi…..

What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: Managing a claim Conditionality and commitment issues. Getting into their account. Failing to respond to something on To Do List or Journal Understanding payments, especially if there are deductions. RTI not always working, leading to overpayments (or occasionally underpayments). Claimants coming back repeatedly because Locked out of account / forgotten passwords Can’t understand payment/frequent changes to payments No payment at all, claim closed, may need to do rapid reclaim Don’t understand a message on their Journal Change of circumstances

What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: other issues (1) Can still be confusion about what really counts as ’supported housing’. Untidy tenancies: people now sole occupant but still with a joint tenancy – can be difficult to get UC to cover full rent. Moving in the middle of an assessed period causes problems – only one landlord gets paid. Deductions can be set at a high rate – but can be negotiated down. All overpayments are recoverable; no code of practice. Can still be difficulties uploading documents.

What we are seeing at Citizens Advice: other issues (2) Identifying and monitoring ‘complex needs’ not always happening, though ‘pinned notes’ and local ‘complex needs plans’ are helping. Rurality and cost of getting to JCP offices. Right to Reside and Habitual Residence issues can be tricky. Earlier Journals can no longer be viewed when a single claimant becomes a member of a couple. Some claims seem to be closed without a formal decision. Council Tax Reduction – not all eligible claimants are claiming this, either assuming it’s ‘included’, or not being advised to make a claim. NHS free health costs: no box on prescriptions to tick for UC.

National Citizens Advice Citizens Advice continues to highlight the insecurity resulting from UC. A press release [June] on the government’s Breathing Space proposal notes the following: 57% of people who claim Universal Credit experience deductions 60% of people who make a new UC claim take on an Advanced Payment - this is the most common cause of deductions from UC 570,000 of the 2 million people claiming UC are repaying Tax Credit overpayments £1 in every £10 awarded in Universal Credit is deducted to repay debts and costs.

….is it all doom and gloom? Of course, Citizens Advice is at the sharp end, seeing those experiencing difficulties. We do realise that for some claimants, UC is working well, that there have been changes to improve things, and that locally we have positive relationships with our DWP partners. Financial support is available eg. via the Flexible Support Fund. But Joshua Reddaway’s words, introducing the National Audit Office report in June 2018, still sound all-too familiar: “A significant minority are struggling to make a claim online, they are struggling to get by whilst waiting for their first payment and they are struggling to cope with the fluctuating income Universal Credit provides”

Bournemouth CA’s Financial Wellbeing project Help to Claim: Local Support Income Maximisation Caseworkers [LA funded] in a number of offices and outreaches (eg Weymouth JCP, Libraries) across Dorset, Poole and Christchurch [in Dorset, may be co-located with Digital Champions] Bournemouth CA’s Financial Wellbeing project Help to Claim: Help at the early stages of UC from application to first payment 0800 144 8444 8am – 6pm Webchat Online information Referral for face-to-face advice Best Practice Leads working across wider areas

What do we need to continue doing? Continuation funding for caseworker services as we know that many people need long-term support, not just help to make an initial claim Arrange training on specialist topics Continue to liaise with JCP and LA staff to ensure effective local delivery and support Work with partners to run events such as this which enable knowledge sharing and networking Use our collective evidence of UC with local partners and nationally to bring about further change