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publicising of short term benefit advances
Following recent criticism the DWP have agreed to publicise STBAs. Watch out for the posters coming to a jobcentre near you!
In the meantime there is now a page on gov.uk -
https://www.gov.uk/short-term-benefit-advance
The DWP also confirmed that you can request a STBA before the first interview at the JC. This could be at the end of the phone call in a phone claim or using the numbers on the gov.uk page. Provided enough info is given, eg ID, then a payment should be made within 24 hours. For claimants who have had a relatively recent claim JC may already have enough info.
I notice that UC is not mentioned here. Is there to be separate coverage?
Don’t forget that we’ve got a load of material on STBA’s.
@Paul. Some ofthe links in the page you linked to don’t appear to have anything under them. is it a work in progress or is this an error? Specifically, I clicked on a couple of the links and the title is displayed, but no information on that subject,
The DWP have just updated this page - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-universal-credit-from-april-2013#history - to include a short bit about requesting UC advances in the grey box near the bottom. However, there is no reference to it in the actual guide which is what can be printed and handed out!! I am emailing them about it…
and the same problem with this one - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/404234/uc-help-with-budgeting.pdf
and this one -
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/404235/uc-and-budgeting.pdf
Has anyone done any recent (within last 12 months or so) social policy work on STBAs? In particular, I’m interested in gathering information on a) why numbers of applications aren’t rising more steeply, b) why applications are being refused and c) success rates of reconsideration requests.
Anecdotal evidence (= individual cases)welcome too.
Many thanks!
The subject of STBAs came up at a recent UC liason meeting with JCP. A Jobcentre UC manager who was present was very keen to point out that ALL UC claimants are notified of the option to claim an STBA at the initial non-repudiation interview, but that many opt not to take it because of the belief that the entire amount will be recouped from the first two monthly payments of UC. I may be cynical (never!), but could advisers be using this as a way of dissuading claims?
In addition, my experience from clients is that STBAs are still NOT routinely flagged up to claimants in all jobcentres.
No idea why only a third of applications are successful, but I suspect it’s the usual default “computer says no” mentality at DWP.
@Paul. Some ofthe links in the page you linked to don’t appear to have anything under them. is it a work in progress or is this an error? Specifically, I clicked on a couple of the links and the title is displayed, but no information on that subject,
Sorry Edmund, I missed this post at the time.
Hopefully, everything should be working now, but if you do come across any problems, please get in touch with Robbie here and he can resolve.
Here is reply I got from the universal credit team about lack of publicity of advances -
Thank you for your question.
When a citizen makes a new claim to Universal Credit and attends their work coach interview, financial needs specific to the claimant are discussed. This is all part of the Personal Budgeting Support we offer and we will provide information and guidance about what immediate financial support a claimant can access during this process. If the claimant is in urgent financial need, the availability of a UC Advance is discussed.
Information about Universal Credit advances has also been published on the following areas of GOV.UK
• https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-universal-credit-from-april-2013 ; we have now following your feedback, included a paragraph about Universal Credit advances within the PDF file that is hosted on this page
Citizens can also access the Universal Credit public knowledge base via the claimant portal and if the ‘Meanings of Terms’ section is searched, this will provide some information about a universal credit advance. The link to the Universal Credit public knowledge base is here: http://about.universalcredit.service.gov.uk/kms/SitePages/home.htm
From the rather abstruse Meaning of Terms section - “all they need to do is request an advance for it to be paid. It will be recovered over a set period of time.”
So anyone who asks for an advance payment will receive one? No exceptions?
It’s written very weirdly - in the bit above it does say ‘show a financial need’ but them seems to contradict itself in the bit you quote Paul. Also it says for people who are moving from legacy benefits. What about people moving from work where they may have been paid weekly?? Time for an email back…
Weirdly? It’s as if the person was ‘struggling with a dead language’. (Beckett -appropriate, all in all)
I know I’ve mentioned this in another thread, but there is still nothing at all on gov.uk, despite DWP claims that ‘‘clear information’ is available.
PS - interesting use of the word ‘citizens’.....
Just to mention - gov.uk STILL has nothing on UC advances
I see what you mean - advances are mentioned in the pdf document Daphne posted a link to, but no mention on the main gov.uk page. This contrasts with the treatment of STBAs for other mtbs.
They’re mentioned on this page - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-universal-credit-from-april-2013 - in the little grey box at the bottom but not very obvious…
Is there a good reason for UC advances to be omitted from the list of benefits on this page?