Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) Workshop 29/11/13 Jon Cartwright - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) Workshop 29/11/13 Jon Cartwright

Agenda • Overview of Brent’s Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) • Online application process • What we need from you • Questions & Answers • Summary / Close

Background • DWP withdrew the national Crisis Loan and Community Care Grant provisions with effect from 01/04/13. • Non- ring fenced funding was provided to all LA’s giving the option of setting up their own schemes. Brent was allocated 13% less than DWP spend. • Brent’s new scheme is called Local Welfare Assistance. It mirrors the previous social fund provisions where possible, however, there are a number of key differences.

Community Community Payments Care Grants (CMPs) Local Welfare Social Fund Assistance Crisis Crisis Loans Payments (CSPs)

Purpose of CMPs • CMPs are awarded to help vulnerable Brent residents live as independent a life as possible in the community. • Awarded to people who do not have an alternative means of paying for what they need. • The payments are intended to meet one-off needs rather than on-going expenses. • Generally awarded to cover the cost of furniture and white goods (and in some cases rent in advance).

How we help / excluded items • CMPs are generally awarded for white goods, furniture, bedding, kitchenware and removal costs • In some cases awards are also made for rent in advance and clothing • CMPs are not for: School uniforms….. legal fees, fines, costs, damages….. medical expenses….. council tax, household bills….. telephone/internet/television costs……. housing costs, service charges, mortgage payments…

Eligibility Criteria for CMPs • Be in receipt (or about to be in receipt) of a qualifying benefit: • Pension Credit Guarantee • Income Support • Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) • Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) • Have (or about to have) their sole or main residence in Brent • Not have capital in excess of £400 (working-age) or £800 (pensionable-age) • Not have had two or more CMP awards in the last 12 months • Not be seeking support to pay for a excluded item

Eligibility Criteria for CMPs • Must not be eligible for a Budgeting Loan that could meet the need . Budgeting Loans (BL) – interest free loans from DWP to help pay for essential things like rent and furniture. • Paid to those in receipt of means-tested benefits for at least 26 weeks • Normally for £100-£1,500 • Need to be paid back within 104 weeks • “ That could meet the need ”? – If the CL’s need is immediate a BL may not be appropriate. – If a loan (BL) rather than a grant (CMP) would place the CL under exceptional stress/hardship.

The Objectives of CMPs As well as meeting the eligibility criteria each CMP must be paid in order to satisfy at least one of the following objectives: 1. Helping people who are moving out of care 2. Helping people on planned resettlement programmes 3. Helping people to remain in the community 4. Helping families under exceptional pressure

1) Leaving institutional or residential care To help the applicant establish himself in the community (set up home) following a stay in institutional or residential accommodation in which he received care • Examples include: hospitals, care homes, homes and hostels, prisons and youth centres, foster care… • Length of ‘care’ would normally be: • A period of three months or more or • A pattern of frequent or regular admission clearly linked to the applicants circumstances

2) Planned resettlement programme To help applicant set up home in the community as a part of a planned resettlement programme following a period during which he has been without a settled way of life • Examples of unsettled way of life include: staying in night shelters, sleeping on the streets, staying in hostels. • Resettlement programmes are generally those run by voluntary organisations, housing associations and registered charities which house customers in permanent accommodation.

3) Remain in the community To help the applicant to remain in the community rather than enter institutional or residential accommodation in which he will receive care • Awards made to either improve an applicants existing living conditions or to enable them to move to more suitable accommodation. • CMPs awarded under this objective if they “lessen the risk” of being taken into care.

4) Families under exceptional pressure Assisting with expenses where such will ease exceptional pressure on the applicant and his family • All low-income families face pressures at times, but for a CMP to be awarded the pressure must be exceptional: – Following the breakdown of a relationship – Onset of, or deterioration in, a disability of a member of the family – Behavioural problems e.g. child with mental health problems – Domestic upheaval as a result of calamity (flood, fire etc)

Questions / Examples?

Online application demonstration www.brent.gov.uk/lwa