1. Universal Credit Full Service
Bernie Topham Partnership Manager

2. Helping those who need it most
Universal Credit
The Government is introducing the biggest welfare change for the last 60 years.
It’s cornerstones include :
Rewarding work
Encouraging responsibility
Making work pay
Helping those who need it most
Supporting aspiration

3. Universal Credit – is opening up work by…
Helping make sure you’re better off in work than on benefits
Allowing part-time and short-term work to act as a stepping stone into work
Enabling you to work more than 16 hours a week and still claim Universal Credit
Paying towards your childcare costs, giving you more flexible working hours
This is enabled by a taper that
reduces your
Universal Credit as you earn
more money instead of stopping
all your support outright when
you work a certain amount.

4. Full Service – Eligible Claimants
Housing Benefit
Child Tax Credits
Income based JSA
Income based ESA
Working Tax Credits
Income Support
The service will be available for all claimant groups from the start.
ALL of Newcastle JC May 2017, Gateshead from 11 Oct 17
North & South Tyneside from 30 May 18, Sunderland from July 2018
Finally, Northumberland: Nov 18 (Ash, Bwk, Crm, Mor) & Dec 18 (Bly, Aln, Bed, Hex)
The service will initially be available to claimants making a new claim, or certain changes in circumstances.

5. Universal Credit Full Service
It’s a whole service – work and benefit in one integrated proposition
It’s built from user needs (claimants or agents)
It’s empowering to users, putting their data and the responsibility for it in their hands
It’s built by a multi disciplined team all focused on the outcomes and purpose of UC
It’s delivery is reprioritised all the time based on evidence of efficiency and effectiveness

7. Universal Credit Full Service - how it works
The online service gives customers more independence as they are able to:
Make their claims online
Submit change of circumstances
Check on the live progress of their claim and payments
Message their work coach and arrange appointments
The claim is maintained via the claimants journal where they can message their work coach, the service centre and upload various documents e.g. CVs and other work search information . Similarly the work coach or service centre will contact the claimant via the journal also.
A text or is sent to the claimant, advising them that a message has been left on their journal

8. Claimant opens account to claim UC online
Claimant opens account to claim UC online. It’s the claimants account to manage and interact with the DWP.
Support continues digitally until claimant is on a zero payment. However if their situation changes, they can report this online.
Claimant may attend claimant commitment interview dependant on workgroup. Here they will receive tailored support from a work coach.
As the claimant finds work they can report this online and still receive support as their UC entitlement decreases.
The service adapts to claimants circumstances and the coaching channel shifts with it. The more self sufficient – the more digital the interaction
A relationship is built with a mixture of face to face and digital / remote coaching using To Do’s and Journal entries. Payments are shown too.

9. Things to remember
The service is the same no matter what device you use.
There is no app – it runs in your internet browser.
Gather all your personal details before you start to make things quicker.
You will need to create an address before you begin if you don’t have one.
If you aren’t able to make a claim for Universal Credit at the moment, GOV.UK provides links to some benefit calculators that may help you.
Understanding how to create an address is essential to help people claim. Think about how you’d manage a bank account online – this is very similar. People must have a bank account for direct debits to be set up .e.g. for housing payments/utilities and childcare payments. When setting up an e mail address make sure it is suitable for any communication with employers.

10. Things to remember Your claim history is stored in the journal.
If a staff member has done something in your journal – it will say so.
There’s room for 5 documents, up to 10mb each to store on the journal.
You can download documents from your journal at any time.
Each time something has a clickable link – there’s more information, or a conversation stored.
Each time someone replies to a message you have sent, you will be alerted that “your account has been updated”. It will not say what or why for security reasons, but you will need to log in and check what has happened.
Whilst there’s no word limit to what you can type in a journal entry, its best to as concise as possible so you don’t clog up your journal with lots of extra notes.
From Spring 2018, we plan to have a self service Advance request in the journal.

11. Things to remember
You won’t see a statement until your assessment period is completed. Until that happens you will see a countdown of days until your next due payment. However, that does not mean that you are guaranteed income from Universal Credit – because Universal Credit need to take the whole assessment period into account before it can decide what you need to be paid.
Your statement tells you about other things you may be entitled to such as free prescriptions.
You can show your statement as proof of benefit.
You will only see specific menu items related to you, so your menu will update as your circumstances change.
The guide that’s available in your account is also available to download at and is called “Universal Credit and You”.

12. Conditionality Groups
NB: Legislation sets out what types of requirements can and cannot be applied to claimants depending on the legal conditionality group. Within these parameters, the actual requirements imposed and support available should be flexible and tailored.
Working Enough
Work focused Interview
No work related requirements
Work Preparation
Light Touch
Intensive Work Search
Labour Market Regime
Those whose earnings are over either the individual or household Conditionality Earnings Threshold (CET) OR self-employed and Minimum Income Floor applies
Those not expected to work at present: This includes those too sick to work, over State Pension Age , those with significant caring responsibilities and lead carers with a child under 1 years old
Those expected to work in the future but are currently nominated lead or responsible carers for children. This includes lead carers of a child over 1 year and under 2 years old
Those expected to work in future but not expected to look for work at this stage. This includes those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work (LCW) and those who are the lead carer for a child 2 years and under 3years old
Those whose individual or household earnings are above the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) but insufficient to take them above the relevant individual or household CET
For those not working and those who are working but earning very low amounts who can work and are expected to take intensive action to secure work or more work.

13. Assisted Digital Support.
Working in partnership with local authorities to develop the support needed for claimants to access and maintain their UC account. This will build on the support in place for the Live Service where a LA appointments are available for residents to make claims
Working in partnership with Local Authorities and partners to ensure that holistic support is provided for claimants in each local area
Claimants are supported to increase their confidence in making and maintaining their UC account
Over 99% of claimants have made their claim for UC Digital online

14. Personal Budgeting Support
Support for claimants requiring budgeting advice. This will build on the Personal Budgeting Support (PBS) model in place for the Live Service where Sunderland Council are delivering PBS for residents.
Alternative Payment Arrangements
Advances

15. Alternative Payment Arrangements
For some claimants, alternative payment arrangements may be required; these might include -
paying the housing element directly to the landlord
making more frequent than monthly payments
splitting the payment within the household.
We will also have the option to make rent payments direct to the landlord if a claimant reaches a certain level of rent arrears.

17. Useful Links Universal Credit Guides
organisations
Information for Welfare Advisers on Explicit Consent and Personal Data
You Tube Channel
Attached link to the UC You Tube channel where you can upload and watch videos about Universal Credit Online Accounts, our Digital Service, Help Getting Into Work, Managing Your Money and much more. It would be worthwhile to subscribe to the channel for further video updates and tutorials on other digital tools and services that will be coming in the next weeks and months.