1. Universal Credit Full service
29 March 2017
Universal Credit Full service

2. Universal Credit in Halton
UC Live Service introduced in November claimants up to July th July 2016 – Full Service Roll Out 814 customers now on UC Live service transfer to Full service commenced on 16th January 2017

3. Early Issues
Registration Code not sent to customers – unable to complete claim
System crashing mid application
Postcodes areas – Not all of Halton in the Full service
Online Verification process – Dose not work, an ongoing issue
Incorrect information provided to customer moving into the full service

4. Communication with the Full Service
No escalation line
Implicit consent no longer accepted
Position for full service at present: “Explicit Consent is when an individual has been clearly presented with an option to agree or disagree to the disclosure of their personal data to a third party. Explicit Consent can be requested over the phone or in person. In all cases the claimant must first answer the security questions successfully before consent can be given. Explicit Consent is only valid for a single interaction. This means that the third party cannot be given personal information if they independently make contact at a later date. Implicit consent, which is used in other parts of DWP, does not apply for Universal Credit Full Service. As UCFS is a fully online transactional service most of the information a third party will need is available via the claimant’s account. The claimant can decide to share it with the third party

5. The Online Journal Information is not available on the journal
Customer can wait several weeks for a response
No service level agreement for responding to journal entries
No word limit for journal entries and customers have 24/7 access
Letters are not being attached to the journal, customers have no documentation to confirm overpayments, underpayments, changes in their claim

6. Journal information Payments schedules changed
Deductions taken for unknown reasons leaving customers unable to budget, manage their money or know what debt they are repaying

7. Full Service - Impact on Vulnerable Customers
ESA v. UC – Appealing a failed medical in the full service
Lose of Severe disability premium – £61.85 per week
Limited capability for Work/Related Activity – not added to UC claims
ESA payments continuing while UC in payment
Full work commitments placed on the sick
UC50 medical forms not issued – 10 month delay for medicals

8. Other issues impacting the vulnerable
More frequent payments, be careful what you wish for!
Health Start – does not recognise Full UC
Claiming Contribution Based Benefits in the Full service
Accessing local authority Discretionary Support & DHPs

9. June 2016

10. June 2016
233 UC cases 3 per week
89k or 10% better than arrears target
DR – current/former arrears, garage arrears, rechargeable repairs debts. Team purely focused on collection of debt and working to minimise the impact of UC on customers and trust
HO Team – key to key, include responsibility for terminations, management of ending tenancy, TSA and hand holding for first 6 weeks of tenancy where needed
Tenancy Services Team – ASB/Tenancy Enforcement/ support services – this will include the TSO’s/WBMA and financial inclusion officers

11. March 2017
DR – current/former arrears, garage arrears, rechargeable repairs debts. Team purely focused on collection of debt and working to minimise the impact of UC on customers and trust
HO Team – key to key, include responsibility for terminations, management of ending tenancy, TSA and hand holding for first 6 weeks of tenancy where needed
Tenancy Services Team – ASB/Tenancy Enforcement/ support services – this will include the TSO’s/WBMA and financial inclusion officers

12. March 2017 UC Claimants consistently increase by 20 per week
Impact on arrears

13. March 2017 Arrears position
On average full UC cases owe £200 more than pre UC
5% owe £1000 more now then before they claimed UC
12% of Trust customers on UC but owe 38% of current debt
Arrears now 87k worse than target
Welfare Benefit Team supported 35% of full service cases
50% increase in possession action over previous year
Balance of FTAs was £162k this time last year currently 318k

14. Change in arrears profile

15. Reason for increase in arrears
Number of cases
Communication
Doubling of customer contact
It’s Halton Housing Trusts fault
Joint tenancy issues
Reactive not proactive action
We can’t tell you anything
Other teams understanding of UC
Unchallenged acceptance
No need for action or investigation it’s a UC claim

16. Reason for increase in arrears
Complexity of cases for example UC for in work claimants
Lack of clarity over legal action
Continue to court incur costs (unnecessarily ?)
Trust customers to make payments
APA applications
County Court response
Evidence in court

17. APA ..or not Payment schedule Payment period Payment cycle
Payment not received
Payment not as expected
Payment out of line with performance reports
Payment claimants responsibility

18. Trust current arrears management action
Support from Chief Executive
Focused action at sign up
Early contact and action with support
No APA requests without referral to WBO
Escalation of arrears cases
At customer contact focus on rent payment to maximise debt reduction
Using data on customers financial and behavioural profile for targeted approach

19. Customer priorities and concerns
Survey of customers identified the following
Improved communication - including face to face, written, digital and phone contact
No issues, good service nothing to say
speed up payment process & communication
Weekly/ fortnightly payments 9
Abolish UC
Greater support for claimants 9
Direct payments to landlords 4
Better IT system

20. Priorities for Halton Housing Trust
Slow down roll out of UC to ensure that staff ,IT & process are fit for purpose
Acceleration of the rollout of the landlord portal from scheduled date October 18
Consistency of service, timescale information and advice to claimants ,with a transparent complaints process
Prepare for increased level of claimant support as more complex cases start to enter transition phase
Simplified and more “live” payment service for claimants and landlords

21. Priorities for Halton Housing Trust
Removal of the designed-in 7-day waiting period which immediate places claimants in rent arrears.
Claimants having the option of having their housing costs paid direct to their landlord, for at least the early part of their claim, to enable the claimant to focus on their work search requirements.
Greater flexibility in payment cycles and a shift away from the default mechanism of monthly payments in arrears.
Increasing the timescales for repayment of advance payments.

22. Grainne Ward & Jonathan Horsfall