Financial Inclusion ForumJune 2015

Agenda• Benefits Service & Performance 2014/15

–Caseload–Performance against targets

• Anti-Poverty outcomes 2014/15–Benefits Service–Welfare Rights Service–Money Skills Service

• Anti-Poverty Strategy 2015 to 2017–General Funding–Shop on the Square–Credit Union

• Future of Welfare Reform–Benefit Cap–Under occupancy–Conditional HB?–Universal Credit–PFA

Benefits Service2014/15

Benefits Caseload

New Claims & Changes Performance

Benefits Performance

ACCUMULATIVE (2014/15) Total Number Total days Average

Change In Details (11 day target) 117379 1073847 9.15

New claims (22 day target) 17285 327069 18.92

NI181 (13 day target) 134664 1400916 10.40

ACCUMULATIVE (2015/16) Total Number Total days Average

Change In Details 20560 257044 12.50

New claims 2818 68883 24.44

NI181 23378 325927 13.94

Anti-Poverty Outcomes

Benefits ServiceWelfare Rights•1 week waiting time for an appointment•50% of appeals won at tribunal•£16,445 of weekly gains•£495,012 lump sum awards

Visiting Team•1213 visits•£50,960 weekly gains•£409,705 lump sum awards

Discretionary Housing Payments•£680 budget•£661 spent (97%)

Local Welfare Provision in 2014/15

•£659,223 spent

Local Welfare Provision in 2014/15

•£87,205 spent

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£14,000.00Ap

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LESA Projectedspend

LESA actualspend

How we have spent LWP

Money Skills

•£1,363 debt managed•£115,486 financial gains•£4,684 average indebtedness for each closed case•£6,609 fuel gains•36 financial capability sessions•480 children

In 2014/15 Fuel Debt DebtEnquiries

Cases Total Enquiries

Cases Total

No of referrals in 19 59 78 318 298 616No closed 19 56 75 281 291 572No carried forward to 2015/16

0 3 3 37 7 44

Anti-Poverty 2015-2017

•Resurrect Steering Group

•Launch of the Shop in the Square

•Expansion of Credit Union

•Continued funding for key services

•Continue LWP

•Regular reports to Members

•Battle fund for what may be to come!

Future of Welfare Reform

•Benefit Cap– Reduction £26K per annum to £23K per annum

•Under Occupancy– Likely to remain– Percentage increase?

•Conditional HB– Under 21/25?– No automatic entitlement– NEET’s?

•Universal Credit– Likely to remain– Challenges remain – processing times, housing costs, direct payment