Guidance

LA Welfare Direct 3/2022 (revised)

Updated 12 December 2022

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

Revisions

We apologise for any inconvenience caused but this bulletin is being reissued as it has been revised as follows:

• Incapacity Benefit reassessment corrective exercise article paragraphs 7-18 have been updated following a change in information.

Editorial

When I last wrote this editorial in September 2021, I mentioned the uncertainty associated with COVID-19 and the Spending Review and how difficult it was to predict the next 6 months, let alone the next 5 years. Six months already feels a lifetime ago. Since then, we’ve had a petrol shortage, the disruption of the COVID-19 Omicron wave, an energy price crisis, rising inflation and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Clearly, we live in uncertain times. So, all we can do is keep on communicating what we know to local authorities (LAs) as soon as we can. We know it’s appreciated from the feedback we receive but do tell us if we can do even better.

On the subject of feedback, in November last year, my team sent the first of what will be an ongoing customer feedback survey primarily focused on data sharing and data security to 25% of LAs. Every quarter 25% of LAs will receive the survey so each LA will receive it once a year.

The survey results from the first 25% were a very interesting read and, in the main, really positive. In particular, the ‘free text’ feedback was especially useful, giving significant insight into what we can do next to further support LAs through data sharing and automation improvements.

We’ve already sent early summary results to those that were surveyed. We now intend to contact some of those LAs directly to answer some of the questions asked or to seek more detailed insight into problems or suggestions raised.

The second quarter of LAs have been issued with their surveys on 16 February 2022 with the final LAs receiving their surveys in 3 and 6 months’ time. When you do receive the survey, please take the time to fill it in. It should only take between 15 and 30 minutes depending on how much free text you write. I can assure you that every response is read in detail and will be used to shape our future direction.

Paul Selby
Deputy Divisional Manager
Local Authority Partnership, Engagement Delivery (LA-PED) Delivery division

Launch of the Housing Benefit Award Accuracy Initiative for financial year ending March 2023 (year 3) and the next all LA conference call on 10 March 2022

1. Clare Elliott (Head of the Local Authority Partnership, Engagement and Delivery (LA-PED) division) wrote to Chief Finance Officers and Revenues and Benefits managers on 16 February 2022, confirming that the Housing Benefit Award Accuracy (HBAA) Initiative for financial year ending (FYE) March 2023 (year 3) will launch from 4 April 2022.

2. We assume that all local authorities (LAs) will participate unless there are exceptional reasons why they cannot.

Urgent reminder to LAs

3. LAs were asked to acknowledge receipt of the letter by 28 February 2022. It is critical that LAs that have not yet acknowledged receipt do so as urgently to [email protected] using ‘HBAA Initiative FYE March 2023 – Receipt’ in the subject field.

All LA conference call 10 March 2022

4. The next HBAA Initiative all LA conference call will take place on Thursday 10 March 2022 from 11am to 12 noon. The purpose of the call is to share the latest information and provide an opportunity for LAs to ask questions.

5. Joining instructions:

• the MS Teams link to this conference has been shared in the version of the LAWD3/2022 that was were sent directly to each LAs single inbox. A reminder was also sent to Revenue and Benefits managers by email directly on 25 February 2022.

6. Any questions regarding this article or the content of the letter can be emailed to the address given above.

Employment and Support Allowance Underpayment/Incapacity Benefit reassessment corrective exercise

7. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) began migrating Incapacity Benefit (IB)/Severe Disability Allowance/Income Support (IS) cases to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from 2011 onwards.

8. Entitlement to ESA Income Related (IR) was not initially considered if ‘IS’ was not in payment at the point of migration.

9. This led to the DWP ESA Underpayment Legal Entitlement and Administrative Practices (LEAP) corrective exercise which completed on 1 June 2021. We have reviewed around 600,000 cases (see note below) and made 118,000 arrears payments to those who were eligible, totalling £613 million. The final statistical update published on 8 July 2021 and can be found here.

10. We originally presented details of the corrective exercise and its potential impact on HB to the Practitioners’ Operational Group (POG) on 20 February 2020, but further action was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now able to share details of the impact on HB.

Note, the numbers of cases that have started the reassessment journey or have been contacted and the number of cases completed and qualifying for arrears payments are rounded to the nearest 1,000; the total amount of historical arrears paid is rounded to the nearest £1 million.

Impact on HB

11. If the cases affected by the ESA Underpayment corrective exercise had been correctly awarded ESA (IR) and the claimant had also been claiming HB, they would have been entitled to passported HB at the maximum rate.

12. Many claimants affected by the exercise, who were also claiming HB were already on the maximum rate of HB, but some were not.

13. We are now looking to provide LAs with the information they need to consider whether any arrears are due to the claimants that were not on the maximum rate of HB.

14. As part of the exercise, the ongoing HB awards were updated at the point the ESA award was corrected. Arrears of HB were not considered at this stage. This is now what we are asking LAs to consider.

The process

15. We have identified 22,500 cases that were not receiving the maximum rate of HB by matching HB data between 2011 and 2019 with ESA Underpayment corrective exercise management information. These are the cases we want LAs to look at to see if they should be on maximum HB.

16. We plan to issue a spreadsheet of cases via Transfer Your File (TYF) week commencing 14 March 2022 for LAs to check if arrears of HB are due.

17. We will provide claimant details and the period of ESA arrears already paid for the LA to consider if HB arrears are due for the same period.

18. LAs are requested to record the period and value of any arrears payment and the date the case was cleared before returning the spreadsheet to [email protected] by 30 June 2022 at the latest.

New Burdens funding

19. Following consultation with POG, funding has been agreed to cover the New Burden to re-assess these cases.

20. Funding will be allocated according to the volume of cases each LA has to reassess. Details of allocations will be issued in a Subsidy circular and funding will be issued to LAs week commencing 28 March 2022.

21. If you have any questions about this exercise, please email the address above.

Changes to the European Union Settlement Scheme ‘share code’ process

22. Changes have been made to the ‘share codes’ that are generated by individuals for proving their immigration status. When applying to the European Union Settlement Scheme, individuals must now select one of the following 3 reasons for sharing their immigration status:

• to prove their right to rent
• to prove their right to work
• for another reason

23. Once selected this will generate a 9-character long share code that can be passed on to a third party such as an LA. This can be used to check the individual’s rights online using the View and prove your immigration status service.

24. All newly generated share codes will begin with a letter denoting the purpose the ‘share code’ can be used for:

• R - generated by an individual to evidence their ‘right to rent’.
• W - generated by an individual to evidence their ‘right to work’
• S - this indicates a ‘something else’ share code has been generated to evidence their immigration status for another purpose, for example a driving licence application or to open a bank account

25. Apart from this change to the first character of all share codes, they will continue to work in the same way and will always be 9 characters long.

26. The share codes can only be used for the purpose that it was originally selected, for example, a share code generated to prove an individual’s right to rent can only be used in the ‘View someone’s Right to Rent’ online checking service.

27. All share codes generated prior to 17 February 2022 will still only be valid for a period of 30 days.

28. Share codes generated from 17 February 2022 and all newly generated codes across all services will be valid for 90 days.

Update: ‘Help to Claim’ Universal Credit support

29. As notified in LAWD2/2022, from 1 April 2022 Citizens Advice (in partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland) will continue to provide independent ‘Help to Claim’ support to people wanting to make a new claim to Universal Credit. This support will cover England, Wales and Scotland.

30. Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland will provide Help to Claim support by telephone and digital channels. They will refer people unable to access support through these channels to their local jobcentre, where staff will identify the appropriate support to meet their needs.

POG and LA Welfare Steering Group

31. The last POG meeting took place on 17 February 2022. Agenda items included topics on Discretionary Housing Payments government contribution allocations, COVID-19 recovery, HBAA Initiative launch letter, HBAA Initiative/Verify Earnings and Pensions Improvement Plan, data sharing and automation, Payment Deduction Programme strands of work, Move to UC(voluntary) and the next LA funding schedule.

32. Both Groups are held bi-monthly (and alternatively) so the next meeting of the Local Authority Welfare Steering Group (LAWSG) is scheduled to take place on 17 March 2022.

33. This article will be included in every LA Welfare Direct bulletin going forward and replaces the summarised POG and LAWSG minutes previously published on www.gov.uk.

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

Secondment opportunities in LA-PED division

35. Working with LAs, as one of our major stakeholders in Welfare Reform, continues to feature heavily and for this reason we value the expertise and knowledge that LA HB experts can bring to the team. These secondment opportunities provide an opportunity to gain an insight and experience of policy development and workings of central government.

36. LA-PED has had a programme of bringing HB experts from LAs in to work alongside data sharing, subsidy, change and performance teams on secondment. We are now looking to register your interest for further secondment opportunities over the coming months.

37. LA-PED comprises approximately 120 staff. The division is responsible for overseeing the performance of LAs in their delivery of HB. It monitors a range of performance data including how quickly and accurately HB is paid and the prevention and detection of fraud and error. LA-PED offers support and challenge to those LAs not meeting performance expectations.

38. It supports a large program of data sharing activity that is paramount in helping LAs pay the correct amount of HB and is heavily involved in managing change activity supporting the Welfare Reform agenda.

39. It’s also responsible for paying HB Administration Subsidy, DHPs, New Burdens and additional grant funding.

40. This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in maintaining and improving stakeholder relationships between DWP and LAs and in designing innovative opportunities for closer working during this busy and complex period of welfare reform.

Personal requirements

41. Candidates should possess the following:

• good understanding of HB procedures and regulations
• good drafting and communication skills
• ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with LAs and other stakeholders
• ability to work with people at different levels in the organisation and to work as part of a team to achieve results
• ability to deliver work at pace and with successful, quantifiable outcomes

Further information

42. Secondment posts would be offered for either 12 months or 24 months dependant on the role offered across the division. The posts would usually be full time and based across the country, although no moves at public expense would be considered. These opportunities will be determined by business need so your CV will be kept on file and you will be contacted once a suitable opportunity arises.

43. If you are keen to register your interest and are at S01/S02/SO3 and Pay Band level 4 or equivalent, (roughly equates to civil service HEO/SEO/G7 grades) please:

• check with your LA that you could be released; and then
• send your CV by email to [email protected]

Employment opportunity in DWP Digital

44. DWP is offering the opportunity to join its Performance Measurement Team in the role of a Review Officer in Housing Benefit - see Annex A for details. The advert is also available on Civil Service Jobs. The closing date is 15 March 2022.

HB cases awaiting decision by the Upper Tribunal

45. Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) Leeds have been made aware of the following HB/Council Tax benefit cases that are awaiting decision by the Upper Tribunal (UT):

• CH/706/20 –DWP invited to join as an interested party, concerning HB and the making of a claim for UC which brings an end to HB via reg. 8 of the UC Transitional Provisions Regs 2014

• CH/31/21 - DWP invited to join as an interested party, similar to the above appeal concerning HB and a claim for UC that is made and the effect of reg. 8 of the UC Transitional Provisions Regs 2014

46. 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.

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

New Legislation

48. The following Statutory Instruments (SIs) have been laid:

• Pension Protection Fund and Occupational Pension Schemes (Levy Ceiling) Order 2022, SI 2022/88, laid on 1 February 2022
• UC and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Work Search and Work Availability Requirements - limitations) (Amendment) Regulations 2022, SI 2022/108, laid on 7 February 2022

49. Copies of SIs can now be downloaded from legislation.gov.uk

What’s new on our HB pages on GOV.UK.

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

Document Type	Subject	Link
LAWD2/2022	Editorial Further extension to deadline: Submission of HB final tested claims and assurance reports/audit certificates for financial year ending March 2021 New Adult Disability Payment in Scotland Local Housing Allowance rates for FYE March 2023 Updated Right of Access Request guidance for LAs Publication of HB speed of processing statistics for July to September 2021 Understanding changes to LA service delivery Invitation to the next Data sharing and IT consultation and engagement forum Citizens Advice to continue to deliver ‘Help to Claim’ Universal Credit support Decisions by the Upper Tribunal New Legislation What’s new on our HB pages on GOV.UK	LAWD2/2022
A1/2022	The Social Security (Income and Capital Disregards) (Amendment) Regulations 2021	A1/2022
A2/2022	War Pensions uprating for the financial year ending 2023	A2/2022
HB S1/2022	Discretionary Housing Payment government contribution for English and Welsh local authorities for financial year ending March 2023	HB S1/2022

Review Officer (Housing Benefit) Department for Work and Pensions: Annex A

Details

• Reference number: 188974
• Salary: £27,565
• Grade: Executive Officer
• Contract type: Permanent
• Business area DWP: Digital
• Type of role: Digital
• Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
• Number of posts: 10
• Location: National
• Apply before 11:55pm on Tuesday 15 March 2022

Summary

Do you have an eye for detail?

Are you interested in identifying where Housing Benefit expenditure is paid to customers incorrectly?

Are you good at building stakeholder relationships and interested in doing this with local authority (LA) staff?

Fraud and Error Performance Measurement estimates how much money is incorrectly paid out by the Department for Work and Pensions and LAs across a range of benefits due to Official Error, Claimant Error or Fraud. We continually review claims to Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Pension Credit and State Pension.

The data collected by Performance Measurement is used by Fraud and Error Measurement and Analysis to produce estimates of the level of incorrect payment within the benefit system, which also inform the fraud and error disclosure in the department’s Resource Account. Our work is mainly operational delivery, which gives us a unique role within Digital.

Job description

As a Review Officer you will:

• Carry out previews of Housing Benefit cases and conduct review interviews by telephone to determine the correctness of the award
• Complete review interviews with claimants by telephone and then examine the evidence gathered
• Take appropriate action to establish levels of Fraud, Customer Error and Official Error
• Deliver an allocation of reviews accurately and within set timescales ensuring the delivery of the Performance Measurement work programme to enable the accurate reporting of Fraud and Error statistics including their inclusion in the Annual Report and Accounts
• Build and maintain relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including local authority Housing Benefit sections, Delivery Businesses, Fraud and Error Service and in the liaison, role required with the National Audit Office
• Take responsibility for maximising own development and that of the team including the development of in-house training products
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the Performance Measurement functions and change initiatives designed to simplify operational delivery and improve quality and productivity

Successful candidates will be expected to be available for training in July 2022.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities are outlined in the job description above.

Please note that this role can be based in any job centre this includes in the following regions: East Midlands, East England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, Wales, Scotland.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

• learning and development tailored to your need
• an environment with flexible working options
• a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• an employer pension contribution of up to 27%
• a generous annual leave allowance

Salary information

Salary for this role is from £27,565.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of 3 parts:

A Personal Details application form.

Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided. When giving details in your employment history you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Experience and knowledge of Housing Benefit delivery rules and regulations or experience and knowledge of income related benefits
• The ability/confidence to challenge across different stakeholder groups
• Proven ability to meet tight deadlines within unpredictable and demanding environments
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to quickly learn how to use different IT platforms/packages
• Working collaboratively with team colleagues to maintain both output and quality in a high volume, high impact operation
• Ability to manage own time alongside challenging deadlines, using guidance and/or data to support complex decision making

Behaviour statements (up to 250 words each). These include:

• Delivering at Pace: Regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives. Identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs. Follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work. Ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs. Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary. Ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging

• Communicating and Influencing: Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money. Interact with others in an enthusiastic way. Express ideas clearly and with respect for others. Listen to and value different ideas, views and ways of working. Respond constructively and objectively to comments and questions. Handle challenging conversations with confidence and sensitivity

• Working Together: Develop a range of contacts outside own team and identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning. Show genuine interest when listening to others. Contribute to an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are listened to and all individual needs are taken into account. Ensure it is clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Offer support and help to colleagues when in need, including consideration of your own and their wellbeing. Change ways of working to aid cooperation within and between teams in order to achieve results.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and behaviour statements to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria above.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit our blog Getting Hired at DWP Digital.

Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised. Please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign.

Important information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered
• If your employment history and behaviours contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Delivering at Pace: Regularly review the success of activities in the team to identify barriers to progress or challenging objectives. Identify who and what is required to ensure success, set clear goals and areas of responsibility and continually assess workloads considering individual needs. Follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work. Ensure colleagues have the correct tools and resources available to them to do their jobs. Have a positive and focused attitude to achieving outcomes, despite any setbacks. Regularly check performance against objectives, making suggestions for improvement or taking corrective action where necessary. Ensure that colleagues are supported where tasks are challenging

• Communicating and Influencing: Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money. Interact with others in an enthusiastic way. Express ideas clearly and with respect for others. Listen to and value different ideas, views and ways of working. Respond constructively and objectively to comments and questions. Handle challenging conversations with confidence and sensitivity

• Working Together: Develop a range of contacts outside own team and identify opportunities to share knowledge, information and learning. Show genuine interest when listening to others. Contribute to an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are listened to and all individual needs are taken into account. Ensure it is clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable. Offer support and help to colleagues when in need, including consideration of your own and their wellbeing. Change ways of working to aid cooperation within and between teams in order to achieve results

Interviews will take place from late March.

Other information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

This post can be applied for on Civil Service jobs

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact: [email protected]
Recruitment team: [email protected]