Guidance

LA Welfare Direct Bulletin 12/2019

Updated 4 March 2024

Contact

If you have queries about the:

• technical content of this bulletin then contact details are given at the end of each article
• general content and distribution of this bulletin, contact:
  

[email protected]

Who should read

All Housing Benefit staff.

Action

For information.

Editorial

December is always a good time for reflection for me. Whilst this year has brought its challenges, next year could be an interesting one given the potential level of change we will be dealing with across the whole of the public sector whatever the outcome of the election.

So whilst we prepare ourselves for all this, it is worth remembering how well local authorities (LAs) have continued to deliver Housing Benefit (HB) and other local services over the last few years of austerity and Welfare Reform. It is a comfort to me to continue to see improvements in the speed of processing across LAs. We have also seen improvements in debt recovery. And have achieved great results from initiatives such as Verify Earnings and Pensions and the Self Employment Review. We still have challenges making the end-to-end fraud referral process work as well as it could but are actively working on this.

You’ll see below an update on Pension Strategy Computer System uprating. I appreciate it has been disappointing that we have not managed to automate this before. We are as confident as we can be that this will work this time for those who are live with Customer Information System interest automation. I owe a debt of gratitude to my own team for sticking with this and to the LAs who have supported us in development and testing. This is just one example of the collaborative approach we have and how, working together, we can continuously improve the service and to reduce costs.

Of particular satisfaction for me this year is how Housing Delivery Division has brought together consultation and engagement on welfare issues for the department; incorporating functions from the Universal Credit (UC) programme. I am really pleased with the progress of the LA Welfare Steering Group which has brought together UC, HB and welfare interests. This includes the development and active maintenance of an issues log where we don’t just record concerns but seek to resolve them. Indeed, this product has helped us enormously with shaping the agendas for the engagement events we have been running recently. I attended one of these in Grantham and found it really informative. If you managed to get to one, I hope you got value from it.

I trust you will all have a restful Christmas break and come back ready for 2020.

Clare Elliott
Head of Housing Delivery Division

Update: Pension Strategy Computer System uprating

1. As you know, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for sharing data with local authorities (LAs) on an annual basis where DWP’s Pension Strategy Computer System (PSCS) hosted benefits (for example, State Retirement Pension) have been uprated.

2. Previous year’s attempts to automate the process (in other words, provide via ATLAS (Automated Transfer to Local Authority Systems)) have failed due to the size of the data transferred.

3. This year Housing Delivery Division’s (HDDs) LA Data Sharing (LADS) Delivery team has been working with your LA IT software suppliers to develop a solution to automate the process from December 2019; in time for April 2020 uprating activity using Application Programming Interface (API) calls to obtain the information.

4. The API calls can be used by LA colleagues for claim maintenance throughout the year and also as bulk calls for annual uprating purposes.

5. Live testing with 10 ‘early adopter’ LAs has been completed successfully for the single API calls and connectivity has now started with any LAs that are currently live with CIS (Customer Information System) Interest Automation.

6. It should be noted, if your LA is not live with CIS Interest Automation then you will be unable to use the PSCS uprating solution.

7. DWP has emailed all LA IT Single Point of Contact (SPOCs) that are live with CIS Interest Automation and provided instructions on how to undertake a successful connectivity test to the DWP Internet Gateway. This is the first step in the connectivity process. If there are any LA IT SPOCs who have not already done so, the connectivity action for your LA should completed as a matter of urgency.

8. Once a successful connection has been established your LA is ready to start live connectivity to the single API request functionality, on condition that your LA has downloaded the most current release provided by your LA IT Software Supplier and this has been deployed into their live environment. DWP has notified all LA IT SPOCs directly about the current position with their software supplier solution.

9. LA IT software suppliers will be undertaking testing of the bulk API calls in early December with a selection of early adopter LA’s. Therefore, it is anticipated that the PSCS uprating bulk solution will not be available for LAs to use until late December or early January 2020. However, LAs will be advised by both DWP and your LA IT Software Supplier when the solution will be available to undertake bulk uprating activity.

10. If you require any further information, do contact us at:
[email protected]

Severe Disability Premium claimants in receipt of HB

11. From 16 January 2019, existing claimants in receipt of Severe Disability Premium (SDP) with a DWP legacy benefit or Housing Benefit (HB) will be prevented from migrating to Universal Credit (UC) following a change of circumstances. In addition, claimants who have a short break in their legacy benefit that received an SDP in the last month and continue to satisfy the conditions of entitlement to the premium are prevented from migrating to UC.

12. Where DWP receive a new claim to benefit DWP will contact LAs where the claimant states that they are in receipt of SDP with their HB only claim. DWP will not need to contact the LA if the claimant is in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) as any SDP will be paid with ESA as the main benefit. Confirming the SDP payment is critical in deciding whether a DWP legacy benefit or UC claim should be made.

13. DWP are experiencing difficulty in obtaining information from some LAs, which is contributing to delays in payments to vulnerable claimants. Therefore, LAs are asked to ensure any request for information relating to this is treated as urgent.

Reminder: Procurement of reporting accountants for the 2020-21 HB Assurance Process

14. As part of the Housing Benefit Assurance Process (HBAP), DWP has published a number of instructional and guidance Modules. Module 1 (which included the standard engagement terms for the HPAP) was issued in March 2018; supported by further guidance in circular HB S7/2018

15. This is a reminder, that as part of the standard engagement terms each LA is required to provide DWP with notification confirming the procurement of a reporting accountant to carry out HBAP testing in relation to subsidy year 2020 to 2021 by no later than 1 March 2020.

16. Included below is the relevant extract from Module 1 of the HBAP guidance.

Role of the LA

17. Module 1 includes the relevant responsibilities and timings pertinent to the receipt of the Reporting Accountant notification as follows:

• the LA is required to appoint a reporting accountant, by the 1 March prior to the commencement of the financial year for which this procedure will apply, to perform the specific test requirements set out in the DWP’s HBAP modules in force for that year
• if the LA fails to appoint a reporting accountant by the deadline of 1 March, the Secretary of State may withhold part or all of subsequent payments of subsidy. The amount and scale of withholdings will be the decision of the Secretary of State. When the LA confirms the appointment of a reporting accountant the subsidy withheld can be released
• it is for the LA to appoint a reporting accountant to undertake this work and notify the DWP of the successful appointment, no later than the 1 of March prior to the commencement of the financial year for which this procedure will apply

Multiple year arrangements covering the 2020-21 reporting period and future years

18. If an LA secured a multi-year engagement with a reporting accountant that covers HBAP in respect of the 2020 to 2021 subsidy year and previously notified the DWP of that engagement, then a further notification is not required.

19. The notification confirming the Audit firm procurement, should include:

• name of the audit firm
• length of the contract
• lead audit contact name
• audit office location

20. The notification should be forwarded to:
[email protected]

Update: Refresh of HBAP modules.

21. DWP have recently refreshed HBAP Module X: DWP reporting framework instruction for further work. The updated module will apply to further work requests in respect of the 2018 to 2019 subsidy year.

22. The refreshed Module X along with other HBAP modules can be found on our HB pages on www.gov.uk.

23. If you have and questions regarding the content of this article you should email:
[email protected]

Update: LA/DWP engagement events

24. In bulletin LAWD8/2019, we told you about our plans to hold LA/DWP engagement events and asked for your thoughts and suggestions which helped shape the content. We have been running them throughout October and November with the final event taking place on 4 December 2019.

25. Over 300 colleagues have attended the events so far and we would like to thank everyone for their participation and to remind those who did, if they haven’t already done so, to return their evaluation as your views are important to us.

26. Our next step is to review all the suggestions/issues raised during the events and our aim is to provide collective feedback by the end of January 2020.

27. We’d also like to take this opportunity to extend a huge thanks to all the LAs and DWP Partnership teams that offered up a room and provided refreshments at the events.

Publication of Housing Benefit Speed of Processing Statistics

28. DWP published HB Speed of Processing (SoP) statistics and associated data on Wednesday 30 October 2019. Here are some key facts:

New claims

29. The average time taken to process new HB claims in quarter 1 (Q1) of 2019 to 2020 was 19 calendar days.

This is 4 days lower than in the same quarter of 2018 to 2019.

In Q1 there were 100,000 new HB claims. This represents a decrease of 18,000 (15%) since the last quarter and a decrease of 120,000 (53%) since Q1 of 2018 to 2019.

Change of circumstances

30. The average time taken to process a change of circumstance on an existing HB claim during Q1 of 2019 to 2020 was 6 calendar days.

This is 1 day lower than in the same quarter of 2018 to 2019.

• For Q1 there were 2.6 million changes of circumstances to HB claims. This is a decrease of 2.7 million (51%) since the last quarter and a decrease of 630,000 (20%) cases since Q1 of 2018 to 2019.

To note

In Q1 of the financial year 2019 to 2020, 96% of HB claims processed were change of circumstances on existing claims and the remaining 4% were new HB claims.

An average of 19 days for processing new HB claims is the lowest it has been but comparisons with previous years should be done so with caution. It is believed that at national level the number of days to process will reduce over time as a result of changing caseloads following the move to UC.

LA Welfare Steering Group and Practitioners’ Operational Group

31. The next meeting of the LA Welfare Steering Group (LAWSG) will take place on 16 January 2020. Agenda items will include topics on Third Party Deductions and ‘move to UC’.

32. Summary for minutes the LAWSG August 2019 meeting have been published on www.gov.uk.

33. The Practitioners’ Operational Group’s summary minutes for the July 2019 meeting and summary minutes for the September 2019 meeting have also been published on www.gov.uk.

34. If you have any questions regarding either of these DWP/LA consultation groups you can email the Secretariat at:
[email protected]

HB decisions by the Upper Tribunal

35. Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) Leeds is aware of the following HB cases that have been decided by the Upper Tribunal (UT):

• CH/244/19: Tribunal entitled to conclude that absence abroad was not for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment.
• CH/1763/18: Remitted- First-tier Tribunal (FtT) failed to take into account Regulation 83(5)(d) in considering the date on which a claim was made, also did not make adequate findings of fact as to whether by reason of the claimant’s health there was “continuous good cause” under the backdating provisions found in Regulation 83(12).
• CH 1227/19: Remitted – overpayment of Council Tax Benefit - FtT failed to find sufficient facts or to give adequate reasons on whether the council was aware the appellant jointly owned her home with her son in order to determine if there was an official error on the part of the council.
• CH/631/19: Insufficient reasons given for contrivance decision.

36. A selection of decisions of the UT are published on their website. Do be aware that there is an undefined time lapse between decisions being issued and their appearance on the website.

37. If you have any queries about cases before the UT Judges or courts, please contact us by email at:
[email protected]

HB cases awaiting decision by the UT

38. DMA Leeds have not been made aware of any new HB/CTB cases that are awaiting decision at present.

What’s new on our HB pages on www.gov.uk

39. The following items can be found on the website link shown:

Document Type	Subject	Link
LAWD11/2019	Editorial Deadline extended: Discretionary Housing Payment mid-year monitoring returns 2018-19 Updated Verify Earnings and Pensions PDF guidance and frequently asked questions Issues with the Automated Transfer of Local Authority Systems LA calls to Debt Management Standard Approach to the timings of Payments and Schedules from the Debt Management Accounting and Finance Team The Self-employed Earnings Review 2018-19 report Temporary absence outside Great Britain Housing Benefit Matching Service: New Self-Assessed Earnings Rules Data Sharing Forum Transfer Your File - stage 2 New version of the Data Matching Tools Guide HB Decisions with the Upper Tribunal New Legislation What’s new on our HB pages on www.gov.uk	LAWD11/2019

S11/2019 Revised

Rents for Social Housing from 2020 to 2021 for local authorities in England

S11/2019 Revised