Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To provide the Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee with an update regarding various areas relating to the national welfare reform agenda, as well as current initiatives to support residents.

Decision

That the content of the report be noted, with a further update to be presented to the next meeting of Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

This report provided Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee with an update on the national and local position of welfare reform/other initiatives, with a specific focus on Universal Credit, Discretionary Housing Payments, Household Support Fund, Council Tax Energy Rebate, and Financial Inclusion matters.

The national Welfare Reform agenda had resulted in a significant impact on residents of Lincoln and North Kesteven since 2013 when certain changes were introduced such as Removal of Spare Room Subsidy, and Benefit Cap; this had continued as further changes had been introduced, such as the ongoing rollout of Universal Credit. These changes had resulted in major changes to the operation of our shared service, to ensure a proactive and positive response to welfare reform and the impacts on residents.

The following updates were noted:

Universal Credit

On 25^th April 2022, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions made a statement in the House of Lords (regarding managed UC migration for working-age legacy benefits – with the aim of completing this migration by the end of 2024. Further information regarding the migration process was published on GOV.UK (Completing the move to Universal Credit - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and since then, an initial 500 cases in Bolton and Medway areas had been invited to migrate from legacy benefits to UC. Further sites were announced over summer 2022, with 250 migration notices issued in Truro, Falmouth, Harrow and Northumberland as part of the UC ‘discovery phase’.

On 10^th April 2023, DWP released a research and analysis document entitled ‘Completing the move to Universal Credit: Learning from the Discovery Phase’, Completing the move to Universal Credit: Learning from the Discovery Phase - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There was currently no further detail as to the rollout schedule for other areas of the country, officers had made contact with DWP colleagues locally and nationally and would report back to this Committee with relevant updates at future meetings.

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP)

City of Lincoln’s DHP government grant for 2022/23 was £129,643 and North Kesteven’s £85,166. The recent mid-year additional DHP grant announcement had increased both amounts marginally, therefore 2022/23 grants were now £132,330(Lincoln) and £86,931 (North  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20

Purpose of Report

To provide the Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee with an update regarding various areas relating to the national welfare reform agenda, as well as current initiatives to support residents. 

Decision

That the content of the report be noted, with a further update to be presented to the next meeting of Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

This report provided Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee with an update on the national and local position of welfare reform/other initiatives, with a specific focus on Universal Credit, Discretionary Housing Payments, Household Support Fund, Council Tax Energy Rebate, and Financial Inclusion matters.

The national Welfare Reform agenda had resulted in a significant impact on residents of Lincoln and North Kesteven since 2013 when certain changes were introduced such as Removal of Spare Room Subsidy, and Benefit Cap; this had continued as further changes had been introduced, such as the ongoing rollout of Universal Credit. These changes had resulted in major changes to the operation of our shared service, to ensure a proactive and positive response to welfare reform and the impacts on residents.

The following updates were noted:

Universal Credit

On 25^th April 2022, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions made a statement in the House of Lords (regarding managed UC migration for working-age legacy benefits – with the aim of completing this migration by the end of 2024. Further information regarding the migration process was published on GOV.UK (Completing the move to Universal Credit - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and since then, an initial 500 cases in Bolton and Medway areas had been invited to migrate from legacy benefits to UC. Truro and Falmouth had been announced as the next two areas as part of the UC ‘discovery phase’.

There was currently no further detail as to the rollout schedule for other areas of the country, officers had made contact with DWP colleagues locally and nationally and would report back to this Committee with relevant updates at future meetings.

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP)

City of Lincoln’s DHP government grant for 2022/23 was £129,643 and North Kesteven’s £85,166. The recent mid-year additional DHP grant announcement had increased both amounts marginally, therefore 2022/23 grants were now £132,330(Lincoln) and £86,931 (North Kesteven)

The number of DHP applications received and determined in Quarter 2 2022/23 was detailed at paragraph 5.2 of the officers report.

DHP spend for up to the end of Quarter 2 of the financial year 2022/23 amounted to £83,975 (63.46% of DHP Grant) for City  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13