1. Prepaid Card meeting Edinburgh 30 March 2017
Paul Stokes – Development Manager Gateshead Council

2. Gateshead – pre 2014 Appointees
Time consuming to pay bills – lengthy payment process
Not best use of customer funds – excluded from direct debit savings. What about financial inclusion?
Difficult to manage – reconciliation and late payment issues
Not a cost effective service provision
Direct Payments
Bank account set up required – additional work for customer
Monitoring - without a monitoring officer
Loss of funds - too late to pick up fraud or misuse.

3. How we started What type of solution? – Banks or Prepaid?
Knowledge base – network meetings/other users. Seek advice from “experts”.
Preparation – what work is required for transition. Reconciliation issues/Other third parties may need to be involved e.g. DWP
Financial constraints

4. Gateshead 2017 Before After Appointees
Time consuming process to pay bills
Not best use of customer funds
Difficult to manage
Direct Payments
Bank account set up required
Monitoring
Loss of funds
Appointees DD set up – not individual payments Savings for customer Online management system Direct Payments No bank set up Monitoring online Retain funds

5. Gateshead – March 2017
Appointees – currently have over 300 main accounts plus around 130 cash only cards
Direct payments – over 550 accounts.
Schools – post Co-Op bank solution in over 60 schools
Council Employees – far greater flexibility on spend
Significant savings made – DP refunds and reviews but will depend in part on your current procedures
Improved service to the customer
Increased scope for development of card use across Council

6. Important to get the system that fits your requirements
Things to consider
Specification – do your research before not after – contacts & site visits recommended
System that fits your requirements – Councils will be different depending on take up and what the cards are to be used for
What are plans for the life of the contract? Will your supplier be flexible?
Communication with service users – get key stakeholders involved early on. Find somebody supportive who can positively influence the project
Plan the transition
80/20 rule applies – focus on the positive customer engagement
Development of prepaid cards – product continues to evolve
Important to get the system that fits your requirements