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UC full service - impact on advice services report(s)?

Peter Turville
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Welfare rights worker - Oxford Community Work Agency

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I know I have asked this before but time marches on ......... we get full service in the autumn.

Has any organisation(s) published reports about the impact of full service on advice services? For example: general impact on demand for service, claimants access to IT, support with making and maintaining claims, dealing with DWP in absence of implicit consent, impact on vulnerable claimants, budgeting / advances / food bank referrals etc.

Obviously much can be gained from reading Rightsnet, NAWRA etc and housing providers have published quite a lot on the impact from their perspective as landlords. But there doesn’t seem to be anything that ‘pulls together’ the experience of advice agencies from nationals like Citizens Advice down to a local advice centre or those working with specific client groups.

It feels like there is a need for a ‘Prepare your organisation for full service’ guide - what you need to consider and prepare for?

any offers, any funding?

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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I’m currently trying to draft a UC resources guide for Age UK advisers, based on the full digital service and flagging up some potential issues for claimants as well as linking to external resources where available.

It’s probably still a good 2 or 3 months away, as we’ve been overwhelmed for last few weeks getting factsheet updating sorted but hoping to get something out soon and happy to share as and when.

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Here’s what we’ve put together to try and help our local I&A advisers understand some key issues around the full digital roll-out of UC as it may affect older people. It’s partly based on some of the enquiries we’ve received from advisers and from threads on here.

It’s mainly comprised of links to other organisation’s online content rather than an in-depth guide and I’m trying to work out whether we can make it slightly more dynamic from an online perspective (rather than being stuck in a Word document, if you see what I mean?).

Any/all comments/criticism/etc welcome.

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Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District
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Have a look at this produced by Rhoda Cooke from Taunton & District Citizens Advice in Somerset

Peter Turville - 17 March 2017 11:44 AM

I know I have asked this before but time marches on ......... we get full service in the autumn.

Has any organisation(s) published reports about the impact of full service on advice services? For example: general impact on demand for service, claimants access to IT, support with making and maintaining claims, dealing with DWP in absence of implicit consent, impact on vulnerable claimants, budgeting / advances / food bank referrals etc.

Obviously much can be gained from reading Rightsnet, NAWRA etc and housing providers have published quite a lot on the impact from their perspective as landlords. But there doesn’t seem to be anything that ‘pulls together’ the experience of advice agencies from nationals like Citizens Advice down to a local advice centre or those working with specific client groups.

It feels like there is a need for a ‘Prepare your organisation for full service’ guide - what you need to consider and prepare for?

any offers, any funding?

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Andrew Dutton
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This is really helpful stuff, thank you all.

I wonder if a system that is still subject to ‘test and learn’ (i.e. trial and much error, with claimants as the victims) should be rolled out with the breezy confidence that is being evinced by DWP.

I remain of the (purely personal) opinion that UC should not be rolled out at all, but abolished.  It doesn’t work, it won’t work, it is intrinsically and unavoidably punitive and the worst is yet to come.

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District
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Andrew Dutton - 03 August 2017 03:49 PM

This is really helpful stuff, thank you all.

I wonder if a system that is still subject to ‘test and learn’ (i.e. trial and much error, with claimants as the victims) should be rolled out with the breezy confidence that is being evinced by DWP.

I remain of the (purely personal) opinion that UC should not be rolled out at all, but abolished.  It doesn’t work, it won’t work, it is intrinsically and unavoidably punitive and the worst is yet to come.

Isn’t, Rhoda’s produced some really high quality work, and was to self-effacing to post it, so i hassled her to allow me to instead.

Sadly Rhoda’s contract expires 28/09/2017, so if any agencies in Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire and bits of Dorset are looking to recruit?

 

 

Gareth Morgan
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Andrew Dutton - 03 August 2017 03:49 PM

it is intrinsically and unavoidably punitive

Not so; it’s been made that.  In its initial design it could have been a great improvement over the previous system.

SarahJBatty
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Rhoda Cooke’s guide is v insightful and good and mirrors what we have found.  We are doing some analysis on advice needed to be provided by social landlords to UC claimants which I will share.

WillH
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Both Rhoda’s documents are excellent and worthy of wider distribution. Assume ok to recommend (with acknowledgement), especially to other CABx not yet in the full service.

But Peter, are you after something which concentrates more on the extra work for advisers as well? Something quantitative about adviser hours, advice agency expense on the phone etc? I don’t know of anything but it is obviously increasing workload so much, & some data on that could be useful for funding bids….

Andrew Dutton
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Gareth Morgan - 03 August 2017 05:30 PM
Andrew Dutton - 03 August 2017 03:49 PM

it is intrinsically and unavoidably punitive

Not so; it’s been made that.  In its initial design it could have been a great improvement over the previous system.


To be honest, I can’t recall when it wasn’t rigged out with sanctions and other things as a basic tenet.  It could have worked and been better in other ways, but I think that imposition and punishment were part of the basic idea.

Peter Turville
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WillH - 04 August 2017 06:21 PM

But Peter, are you after something which concentrates more on the extra work for advisers as well? Something quantitative about adviser hours, advice agency expense on the phone etc? I don’t know of anything but it is obviously increasing workload so much, & some data on that could be useful for funding bids….

I go away on hols and return to a populated thread - thank you all for your replies.

Will - Yes, impact on advisers / advice service would be useful. Anecdotally I get the impression UC enquiries/cases (excluding assistance with an online claim) are taking about three times as long to resolve because of the lack of implicit consent etc compared to what we are used too with legacy benefits (which are bad enough!). It would be helpful to see any quantitative data anyone is compiling. I don’t think funders realise just how much time advisers spend just trying to contact DWP etc before they can even begin to deal with the issue.

Our local authority funders seem to be under the impression that they will be able to assist all claimants who require support with the on-line claim process (and budgeting support) using DWP partnership funding they will get (which may be true to start with for perhaps a year until the numbers really start to take off?). But in the longer term?

Andyp5 Citizens Advice Bridport & District
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Peter Turville - 15 August 2017 01:10 PM
WillH - 04 August 2017 06:21 PM

But Peter, are you after something which concentrates more on the extra work for advisers as well? Something quantitative about adviser hours, advice agency expense on the phone etc? I don’t know of anything but it is obviously increasing workload so much, & some data on that could be useful for funding bids….

I go away on hols and return to a populated thread - thank you all for your replies.

Will - Yes, impact on advisers / advice service would be useful. Anecdotally I get the impression UC enquiries/cases (excluding assistance with an online claim) are taking about three times as long to resolve because of the lack of implicit consent etc compared to what we are used too with legacy benefits (which are bad enough!). It would be helpful to see any quantitative data anyone is compiling. I don’t think funders realise just how much time advisers spend just trying to contact DWP etc before they can even begin to deal with the issue.

Our local authority funders seem to be under the impression that they will be able to assist all claimants who require support with the on-line claim process (and budgeting support) using DWP partnership funding they will get (which may be true to start with for perhaps a year until the numbers really start to take off?). But in the longer term?

Peter, regarding your last point re LA’s, the attached job advert doesn’t address it, but nevertheless may be of interest to people, contemplating applications to LA’s for funding re specific UC support.

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