Fri 12-Jun-09 11:14 AM by Gareth Morgan

Looking at this new bill, which is due to be published soon, I'm trying to get some feel for the effect on welfare rights work.

According to the BBC story, it seems that it will be imposing a statutory duty on "the government, local authorities and other organisations to help to end child poverty across the UK."


It seems that those organisations will be "central government, councils and services including the police, NHS primary care trusts and youth offending agencies.".

If we can start thinking about the activities that those bodies should undertake then we might be able to start talking to them about sensible integrated strategies.

The example given by the new SoS was "The duty on local authorities is to work together and to draw up a local strategy to identify what the causes of child poverty are,".

"It might be teenage pregnancy rates that are for example causing a big problem in their area, and to work together to bring that down."

If the duty is phrased more generally in the Act then there might be the opportunity to move beyond that more bland kind of activity.

the bill is now available @ http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/childpoverty.html

2........The example given by the new SoS was "The duty on local authorities is to work together and to draw up a local strategy to identify what the causes of child poverty are,".

Is that not what LA's are forever doing already? Working together to draw up a local strategies to identify this and that. We have enough local strategy plans already which could be highly effective if funding were made available, particularly in the housing sector, (for example).

OK, having drawn up a local strategy to combat child poverty, what then? Most of us have a fair idea of what causes child poverty, and what could/should be done to help eradicate it. We also know that it takes funding from Central government to resolve what is a nation wide issue.

Whatever action is proposed it takes investment to achieve any lasting results. Is this brave new world of inposing further statutory duries on LA's, really going to be backed up by adequate additional external funding?

At present District & Borough councils have no legal obligation to provide Welfare rights services and, in times of financial restraint these are the first non statutory services LA's look at in order to save money. If there is a move towards imposing a statutory duty on all LA's to develop a startegy which will seroisly reduce child poverty, will this mean that there will be a stautory requirement imposed on Districts and Boroughs to continue to provide, or to reintroduce Welfare rights services they had already disposed of.......................?

Mike - I know you are probably aware of this anyway but for any advice services affected by cuts, it might be worthwhile pointing out the impact take up of some benefits has on the authority's finances. This is an old document but sets it out nicely on page 13 (the purple money matters bit).


http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/publications/serious_benefits.htm

Sadly, it is an old document.

I modelled, for every LA in England and Wales, the benefits value of take up using the old deprivation indices scheme of LA funding support from central government. That had values for each IS and AA recipient in the LA area.

The new scheme does not have the same direct link between benefits receipt, and hence take-up, and LA income.

The other arguments about welfare and about poorer people spending their money in the local economy are still valid of course, for all the good that does.

Whilst things did change in 2003 there is still a link through the deprivation index.

this should explain it a bit more

http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/0809/methpssa.pdf

Hi

The old chestnut.........What is a Welfare Rights service worth?

This may come across as being lazy but has anyone translated this into pounds, shillings and pence? (shows how old I am!)

If I get a pensioner onto AA what precise income does this create for the authority? Ditto DLA, Pension Credit etc. I've has a look at the formulas but just dont get it.

Is there somewhere a simple list I can hold up to the powers that be to show exactly whay income I create for the council based on my own statistics? Or is this a lost cause?

Someone out there must know a friendly accountant willing to spill the beans.

Because this differs for each LA year on year it is probably only something that your Strategic Finance unit will know. If you are having trouble getting hold of it why not put in a freedom of information request to the authority?

"I understand that the number of residents in receipt of certain Social Security Benefits is a factor in the calculation of the Revenue Support Grant.

I would like to know for the year 2009/10 what value is attributed to each of the following:

Pensoners

Guarantee Pension Credit
Savings Pension Credit
Attendance Allowance
High DLA
Mid DLA
Low DLA

Working Age

Income Support
Job Seekers Allowance (income based)
High DLA
Mid DLA
Low DLA

Children

High DLA
Mid DLA
Low DLA

And any other benefits I may have missed."

Its got to be worth a try !