Local Welfare Provision
Objectives • Provide those supporting vulnerable people with details of South Tyneside’s Local Welfare Provision scheme covering: – Criteria – Support that will be provided – How people can apply • Equip you to advise your clients about the Local Welfare Provision scheme • Opportunity for you to feedback
Background • National system of community care grants and crisis loans being abolished from April 2013 • Non ring fenced funding to council to fund a replacement • Funding reduced by 27% and not ring fenced • 10,000 applicants per year to current scheme in South Tyneside. • Likely increased demand on local scheme due to welfare reform • No cash payments in local scheme
What is being devolved? Community care grants • Grants for (mostly) household goods to support vulnerable people to live in the community and ease exceptional pressure on families Crisis loans • Payments to anyone who cannot meet their immediate needs as a consequence of a disaster and there is a risk to health and safety • Living expenses (food, energy costs) • Items (e.g. fridge after flood)
Current activity Area Characteristics • 2,230 applications in South Tyneside Community Care grants • 920 awards • £404k awarded - £439 per award • Application via form to Jobcentre Plus • Paid directly into bank account • 6,970 applications in South Tyneside Crisis loans • 5,070 awards • £322k awarded - £64 per award • Telephone application • Paid directly into bank account, or cheque issued at local Jobcentre Plus • £726k spend in 2011/12 – 2013/14 government grant is £533k (plus admin grant of £112k) – reduction of 27% • Members have agreed to keep broadly the same criteria
Criteria: Community Care support Previous • Cannot apply for the same expenses again applications unless relevant change in circumstances • Income support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Pension Credit or Income Related Qualifying benefits Employment and Support Allowance (or likely to be in receipt of these within 6 weeks) • Daily living expenses, fuel, housing costs and Allowable repairs, statutory charges (e.g. Council tax) expenses not eligible • Must be in one of six situations (see next Situation of slide) applicant • No other means of paying for items requested • Must be high priority (each item judged Priority separately) Key message: we will have to turn down many vulnerable people because their needs are not sufficiently high to meet criteria
Community Care support categories • Following stay in institutional or residential Establishing in the accommodation, and there is a need for help (as a community after being in consequence of length of stay, intensity of support whilst care accommodated) to establish in the community. • Foreseeable risk that the applicant or a member of their At risk of going into care family or someone they are looking after will enter institutional or residential accommodation. • Applicant and their family are under exceptional pressure Part of a family under that goes beyond the normal pressures of being on low exceptional pressure income. Could be one very significant issue or several issues combined • Applicant must have been without settled way of life and Setting up home as part of a planned resettlement be in process of setting up a home, and have a programme resettlement programme with support worker • Family member has additional expenses as a Helping to care for a prisoner/young offender on consequence of looking after someone released from custody on temporary licence temporary licence • Travel and accommodation costs needed to visit a family member who is ill, attend a relative’s funeral or visit a Needing travel expenses child who is with the other parent pending court decision
What Community Care support will be offered? • No cash payments • Household goods delivered and installed in applicant’s home in a single delivery by Furnishing Service – two delivery dates per week • For low value awards, Argos gift card may be offered • Recycled goods offer being developed • If not eligible, referral to other local support/ charities • Appropriate referrals to local support made for all applicants
Crisis support criteria • Those with a benefit sanction or immigration issue, or Not exempt person in care home or hospital do not qualify • No savings, other income, source of credit, or imminent No other means of help benefit payment • Exhausted DWP options • Only two awards allowed in 12 month period • Evidence of engagement with advice/ budgeting/ other Previous applications support following previous application • To cover immediate needs that arise because of a disaster (for household items) or emergency (for living expenses) • Disaster “an event of great or sudden misfortune with Eligible spend significant damage to, or destruction of, or loss of possessions or property, with the effects felt by the whole community” (e.g. large flood, gas explosion, chemical leak, large fire) • Payment must be only means of preventing serious Health and safety risk damage or serious risk to health and safety • For living expenses, maximum of 50% of benefit rate • Amount may not solve the crisis altogether (not all Amount covered losses or all damage)
What Crisis support will be offered? • No cash payments • If applicant needs food: Asda/ Morrisons/ Tesco vouchers • If applicant needs gas/electricity: top up of energy card/key • If applicant needs household goods: Furnishing Service or Argos gift card, but with quicker turnaround • If not eligible, referral to local foodbanks or charities • All applicants referred to appropriate local support – benefit checks, money advice etc – condition of repeat application
Any Questions or Comments?
How to apply? Community Care support: • Application forms available from: • Customer Service Centres • Local Welfare Provision telephone number 0191 424 6064 • localwelfare@southtyneside.gov.uk • Online application option for support workers being developed • Aim to assess applications in 30 days
How to apply? Crisis support: • Application form (as before) • Telephone application - 0191 424 6064 • Aim to assess applications in 24 hours
What will applicants need to do? Community care support: • Provide evidence with application • Provide us with contact details for any support workers who can verify application • Provide us with further evidence we ask for We will: • Check benefit details • Verify other information
What will applicants need to do? Crisis support: • If eligible for support, attend South Shields or Jarrow Customer Service Centre at an agreed time with ID and proof of emergency or disaster • If in need of gas/electricity, give us their energy card/key for top up – this will be returned at a time to be agreed with applicant • Engage with agencies we refer them to We will: • Check benefit details and date of next payment • Verify other information
Other issues • Review and appeals process • Publicity: – Leaflets for potential applicants – Fact sheets for staff – Customer service staff briefed – Jobcentre Plus and DWP • Close monitoring of effectiveness of scheme and spend during year
Objectives revisited • Provide those supporting vulnerable people with details of South Tyneside’s Local Welfare Provision scheme covering: – Criteria – Support that will be provided – How people can apply • Equip you to advise your clients about the Local Welfare Provision scheme • Opportunity for you to feedback
Any Questions or Comments?
Case examples
What does this mean in practice – community care grants Mr G left prison 2 months ago and moved to a hostel. He has found himself a privately rented studio flat and managed to get the deposit paid through a local tenancy support scheme. He now needs to leave the hostel. He applies for a grant to buy a cooker, bed and sofa. He was in prison for 2½ years and cannot return to his former address as his ex-girlfriend had kicked him out. Grant awarded – applicant falls into “help to establish themselves in the community following a stay in care” Mr I was in hospital for 3 weeks due to appendicitis. He is now back home with his parents having made a good recovery. Mr I applies for a washing machine as it would help his mother who has never had a washing machine and has always used the laundrette Grant denied – Mr I has not been in hospital long enough to qualify under “help to establish themselves in the community following a stay in care”, and a washing machine does not help him establish himself in the community
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