1. Streamlining Eligibility Assessments Pilots Single Assessment Process and Attendance Allowance Project Maggie Rastall Older Peoples Project Manager London Borough of Greenwich Martin Baillie Manager Income Maximisation Islington Council

2. Workshop Presentation (approx 20 mins.) Background to project –Maggie Islington project - Martin Interim evaluation and feedback - Martin Questions and discussion

3. Partners London Councils DWP Local Pension Service London Borough of Greenwich London Borough of Islington

4. Overall aim of the project To test whether an assessment (SAP overview) carried out by social care/health professionals can be used as the claim for Attendance Allowance. November 07 – April 2008

5. Attendance Allowance Aged 65 or over Illness or disability and need help with personal care Not means tested Tax free Higher Rate: £64.50 Lower Rate: £43.15 Depends on how much disability affects you

6. How do you get it? Fill in forms! Yourself Family, friend, carers Joint visiting team etc

7. Single Assessment Process Join up assessments between health, social care and others (process) Majority of London Boroughs use the same assessment tool (FACE) More forms! Similar information but different forms! Care Managers, District Nurses etc

8. So what do we want to do? Use the Single Assessment Form (FACE) to apply for Attendance Allowance.

9. What are the project benefits? Reduce duplication Potentially a more accurate claim Speed up process If service user fits Council eligibility criteria (Critical and/or Substantial) then likely to fit eligibility for AA

10. New form DWP mapped overview assessment against their claim form Produced 3 page additional form Consent Declaration Guidance about help during day and night

11. New form continued AA claim consists of (where available): Contact information Overview Assessment - minus carers section Additional DWP pages – more or less information on this depending on overview

12. By the end of the project what should we know? Whether overview assessments can be used as the basis of AA claim Are those meeting FACS criteria also eligible for AA Reduction in repetition, workload, DWP queries etc How many refuse consent – Interim outcomes from Islington pilot …

13. The Islington pilot SAP & AA: Activities of daily living vs attention with bodily functions/supervision Filling gaps Changes to the business process Outcomes and efficiencies Issues affecting roll-out

14. SAP & AA: ADLs vs attention / supervision Both include: – Eating/Drinking – Washing – Bathing / toileting – Dressing / Grooming – Cooking / food preparation – Turning in bed – Mobility outside the home

15. Filling gaps SAP not designed as claim form –gaps: – Residence/presence conditions – Supervision needs – Night-time needs – dialysis, special rules – Hospital admissions – Date of claim Solution: WR review, home visit for additional information, completion of DWP short form

16. Changes to the business process Benefit screening in SAP form & consent E-referral to welfare rights Identify supplementary information Visit SAP form & DWP short form to Disability Benefit Centre – Stand well back…

17. Outcomes 96 referrals from November 07 – March 08: – 53 awards (25 higher rate, 25 lower rate – annual value of known awards = £140k) 84% – 10 refused – (7 going to appeal) 16% – 18 awaiting visit – 11 awaiting decision – 2 no action needed (already on benefit) – 1 service user declined consent – 1 awaiting action from service user

18. Efficiencies Reduced duplication for service user – sensitive information collected once Shorter home visits by LA visiting officers 44% less than 30 minutes Shorter time to issue decisions – average clearance time of 10 days Reduced need for GP verifications – 5% required GP reports

19. Issues affecting roll out Senior management commitment Practitioner commitment to income maximisation Practitioner awareness of consent issues and service user safeguards Integration of benefit screening questions in SAP Alignment of SAP forms with AA conditions Need to integrate with Individual Budgets