Guidance

LA Welfare Direct lite 9/2021

Updated 20 December 2021

© Crown copyright 2021

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/la-welfare-direct-bulletins-2021/la-welfare-direct-lite-92021

Contact

Queries about the:

  • technical content of this bulletin, 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 (HB) staff

Action

For information

Advance notice: Discretionary Housing Payments mid-year estimate form for financial year ending March 2022 (England and Wales only)

1. The Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) mid-year estimate form will be issued week commencing 27 September 2021.

2. As with the DHP final claim form for financial year ending (FYE) March 2021, the DHP mid-year estimate form for FYE March 2022 will combine the mandatory DHP mid-year estimate and the voluntary mid-year management information (MI) monitoring return. Combining the forms will reduce duplication and the administrative burden on local authorities (LAs).

3. The DHP mid-year estimate form will ask for:

  • the actual DHP expenditure paid by your LA between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021
  • your LA’s estimated DHP expenditure for FYE March 2022 between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022
  • additional MI to help inform future funding

4. The form will include updated completion guidance on the information that is being requested.

5. The Discretionary Housing Payments (Grants) Order 2001 is being amended accordingly.

6. LAs must return the completed DHP mid-year estimate to [email protected] by no later than 31 October 2021.

7. The MI monitoring return information continues to improve the department’s understanding of how DHPs are being used to support people affected by Welfare Reforms. Additionally, these returns will help us better understand the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on LAs.

8. If you have any questions you can contact us on the email above.

Reminder: Request for LA update to the Apollo Register

9. This Local Authority Security and Support Team (LASST) has been working with LAs to improve the Apollo Register process.

10. This included the completion of surveys detailing LAs usage. Results of the surveys show that there has been a significant reduction in telephone calls to DWP for those using the Apollo Register process. This is due to the continued improvements to the information available to users of the Searchlight system.

11. Due to the reduction in the requirement of LAs to use the Apollo Register process, LASST is asking LAs to reduce their Apollo Register to 10 users to cover:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme
  • Local Welfare Provision
  • Blue Badge
  • Adult Social Care Financial Assessment

12. Further to the email request sent to Revenues and Benefits managers on 15 September 2021, this is a reminder for LAs to complete and return the Apollo Register Terms and Conditions form (see Appendix A), with their 10 users by 29 September 2021 to [email protected]

13. Note: LAs do not need to include any deletions of users from the current Apollo Register.

14. If, in exceptional circumstances, an LA requires more than 10 users due to size or geographic issues, you can contact LASST on the above email address to make this request.

15. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the LAs assisting and supporting us in improving the Apollo Register process.

Future Support Offer grant funding to support people to claim Universal Credit

16. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is offering grant funding through the Future Support Offer for organisations in England, Scotland and Wales.to support people to:

  • make a new claim for Universal Credit (UC)
  • maintain their new UC claim up until their first full correct payment

17. The support is to be provided through accessible telephony and digital channels, including webchat.

18. Details of the grant funding application process were published on www.gov.uk on 9 September 2021.

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