Benefits Strategy

Havant Borough Council

Benefits Service-Vision and Strategy

Havant Borough Council's Vision : A cleaner, safer, more prosperous community

Our Vision for the Benefits Service

Providing a modern, customer-focused, efficient, effective and secure benefit system that is continuously seeking to improve.
Paying the right amount of benefit to people who are entitled to it as quickly as possible.
Encouraging the take up of the Benefits scheme by those entitled to benefits and ensuring the service is accessible to everyone in the community.
Reducing the risks of fraud and error.
Delivering an effective Benefits service that is set within the broad context of the Councils priorities for a more prosperous Borough.
Delivering a cost-effective service which provides value for money within the limited financial resources available.
Supporting key local partnerships with welfare benefits delivery where they help achieve this vision.
Helping to address social exclusion.

Contents:-

Speed and Accuracy

Security and Fraud

Helping people back to work

Supporting the provision of affordable housing

Customer Charter

The Benefits Service is committed to providing a customer focussed service through:

setting challenging, but realistic, targets for the assessment of claims with ongoing improvements year-on-year;
maximising entitlement to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit (HB/CTB);
regular consultation with claimants and key stakeholders;
helping people back to work through the timely assessment of claims where the claimant is returning to or starting work;
ensuring that appeals and complaints are dealt with quickly and transparently.

The Benefits Service will be accessible to the residents of Havant Borough who need assistance with paying their rent and/or Council Tax. The Benefits service will provide information to claimants on:-

the help that they are entitled to receive;
the action that they need to take to ensure that their claim is paid;
the help that is available if they need assistance in claiming;
the standards they can expect and action they can take if things go wrong.
and will focus upon:-
removing barriers to access caused by language difficulties; health, mobility or disability problems; or any other issues preventing claimants from receiving the benefits to which they are entitled;
providing forms, notification letters and publicity material to claimants and external agencies that provide clear explanations of the assistance that is available, the action that has to be taken to ensure the payment of HB/CTB and of any additional assistance that is available.

The Benefits Service will provide a secure service that protects public funds by:-

a rigorous approach to both the prevention and detection of fraud through all means available including prosecutions, sanctions and cautions;
ensuring that overpayments recovery is maximised without causing undue hardship;
minimising error through management checks, quality control and training;
reducing rent and Council Tax arrears by ensuring that HB/CTB take-up is maximised;
reducing subsidy loss through ongoing monitoring and control.

Purpose of the Strategy

Much of the administration and payment of HB and CTB claims is prescribed by a complex body of legislation laid down by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). However, the Benefits Service is integral to a number of Council objectives; the Councils priorities are for a cleaner, safer and more prosperous Borough and the Benefits service links particularly with priorities for strengthening our economy and enabling better housing within the detailed corporate strategy.

The purpose of this document is therefore to establish the strategic direction of Havant Borough Councils Benefits Service, its aims and its values. All Local Authorities face significant challenges in the administration of HB/CTB given the increasing complexities of the Schemes, the emphasis on preventing fraud and error from entering the system and the importance of paying the correct amount of benefit quickly, but only to people who are properly entitled. The priorities of the Benefits Service therefore seek to balance the sometimes conflicting priorities of accuracy, speed and fraud prevention in each of the service aims expressed in this document. In addition, the Council is mindful of having the highest possible standards of customer care and the Councils customer services policy is attached at

Appendix 1.

The Department for Work and Pensions has published performance standards for Benefits. The Council has assessed performance against these standards. Whilst the Council has not been able to allocate financial resources to implement the Verification Framework many of the standards within that framework are in place.

Social Inclusion

The Benefits Service has a significant role to play in meeting social inclusion. Governments Social Exclusion Unit has described social exclusion as "a shorthand label for what can happen when individuals or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown". Social exclusion can often be characterised by a lack of choice and the Benefits Service is committed to addressing these inequalities, wherever possible, by:

reducing poverty by maximising take-up and paying claims quickly;
increasing choice for affordable housing by working with landlords and Housing Associations to ensure that claimants can exercise the same level of choice in where they live;
making sure that unemployed claimants are supported in taking jobs by paying their claims without interruption.

Claiming HB/CTB is a complicated and bureaucratic process because of the complexity of the Schemes and the need to verify all circumstances of a persons claim in order to ensure that payments are only made to people who are properly entitled. Much of this activity is prescribed by legislation and guidance from the DWP. An important component of an open access policy is making sure claimants know what they have to do in order to assist the Benefits Service in paying their claim quickly. All publicity material and forms will therefore detail the responsibilities of claimants in satisfying the criteria for receiving HB/CTB.

The information required to award HB/CTB gives details of all aspects of a claimants income, capital, household details and personal circumstances. A more inclusive approach can often be provided in response to a claimants needs by giving advice on:

other Social Security Benefits that they might be entitled to;
additional assistance available through the HB/CTB Schemes (such as Discretionary Housing Payments);
other Council Services for people on low incomes.

Help is always available from the Benefits Service in completing forms or providing information. There are a number of additional stakeholders who provide assistance and have an interest in the prompt payment of HB/CTB claims including other Council Departments and outside agencies who advise claimants or receive payments on their behalf. The Benefits Service will therefore formalise relationships with all key stakeholders with a view to ensuring that claimants receive accurate advice from whatever source, that all interested parties understand their rights and responsibilities and that all parties have realistic expectations of the Benefits Service and that these expectations are met. This will be realised through:

the publication of realistic targets for all key aspects of the Benefits Service;
a user forum for claimants and advisers to address service delivery issues and to provide continuous feedback on ongoing improvements to the service;
the establishment of Service Level Agreements with any external agencies whose involvement is required for the payment of claims (such as the Inland Revenue, DWP, Rent Officer Service et al.);
Service Level Agreements with other Council Departments, principally Council Tax, for the exchange of information;
a forum for Housing Associations and landlords that will clarify their rights and responsibilities under the relevant legislation.

There are a number of constraints to meeting the needs of claimants, principally where the amount of benefit they receive is limited by statutory provisions outside the Councils control or where there is a need to have robust verification procedures in place. The Benefits Service will therefore ensure that these are mitigated to lower any barriers to entitlement and are fully understood by all interested parties who can assist the Council in making the service as responsive as possible.

Speed and accuracy

The Benefits Service will pay the right amount of benefit for all claims at the earliest opportunity and will tackle the barriers to this as part of the ongoing strategic development of the service. A key indicator of the efficiency of the Service is the time taken to assess claims from the date that they are received to the date that they are paid. The Benefits Service is committed to a policy of getting it right first time because paying the right amount of benefit in accordance with the Regulations and primary legislation is equally important.

The issues that are being addressed to achieve this goal are:

minimising delays caused by claimants providing information in support of their claims late through a pre-assessment process that will focus the service on challenging targets for the payment of claims;
tackling the increasing complexities of the HB/CTB Schemes, in terms of legislation and systems, through comprehensive training provision for all staff that will balance the priorities of accuracy, speed and service delivery.

The Benefits Service provides assistance to claimants in verifying their circumstances through liaison with third parties and the verification of information directly with the DWP. A clear policy on the application of the Councils verification criteria is therefore available both to claimants and anyone who may be advising them. Where claimants are renting from private landlords and unable to provide the information that has been requested, the Benefits Service will ensure that interim payments are made (payments-on-account) where it is lawful to do so in order to obviate any risk of hardship or eviction.

Some claimants are not entitled to HB/CTB either because they are excluded by the Regulations, or because they are fraudulent or because they do not provide the requisite supporting evidence. It is incumbent on the Benefits Service to provide unsuccessful claimants with a clear and timely explanation of why payment will not be made with details of the avenues of redress that may be available to them. The same targets will therefore apply to all claims.

Security and fraud

The Benefits Service is committed to protecting the public purse by ensuring that fraudulent claims for HB and CTB are both prevented and detected.

The prevention of fraud involves protecting the gateway to the HB/CTB Schemes through robust verification criteria, application forms that seek all the necessary information and procedures for cross-checking the information that is provided. Havant Borough Council already sets standards for the verification of claims and supporting proof. The Benefits Service will therefore support the anti-fraud strategy and prosecution policy for dealing with HB/CTB (Appendix 2) through:

publicity campaigns highlighting the Councils commitment to eradicate fraud;
ensuring that all cases are referred for investigation where fraud is suspected;
regular fraud awareness training for staff and feedback on investigations;
a fraud hotline for suspected fraud to be reported;
publishing details of successful prosecutions in the local press as a deterrent;
pursuing alternatives to prosecution where appropriate (i.e. administrative penalties and sanctions).

The Benefits Service endorses the adoption of a Prosecution Policy that recognises the seriousness of fraud, but weighs this against the alternative measures available to the Council through cautions and administrative penalties depending on the circumstances of the case.

The anti-fraud strategy is predicated on the core aims of the service, namely:

getting it right by paying the correct amount of benefit to claimants who are properly entitled;
keeping it right by making sure that changes of circumstance are priorities and HB/CTB reassessed accordingly;
putting it right by detecting when fraud or error enters the system and taking the appropriate remedial action;
making sure things work by monitoring the work of the Benefits Service and proactively planning for continuous improvement.

The level of undetected fraud is, of course, unknown. Whilst the elimination of fraud remains a core aim of the Benefits Service, it should be recognised that this should not be at the expense of avoidable delays to the majority of legitimately entitled claimants.

Helping people back to work

The Benefits Service will ensure that the Councils priorities are understood and fairly reflected in procedures and working practices in helping people back to work. There are a number of measures within the HB/CTB Schemes with more planned for the future that support people returning to work by:

ensuring that there is no break in the paying claims when claimants start work and their circumstances change;
ensuring that new or renewal claims from people who are already working are dealt with quickly so people know how much HB/CTB they will receive and can manage their finances accordingly.

In many instances the decision whether to accept a job or not will depend on the amount of the HB/CTB that a claimant will receive and the Benefits Service will therefore provide advice to claimants considering taking up employment. For claimants who are self-employed or who are thinking of starting their own business, the assistance provided by HB and CTB can be an essential part of their income and therefore the viability of their employment. The Benefits Service will therefore provide the necessary support and advice to claimants who are already working or starting work.

The Benefits Service will also ensure that claimants receive advice regarding the minimum wage where they are being paid below this amount and the means of redress at their disposal.

Supporting the provision of affordable housing

The Benefits Service will increase the choice available to prospective tenants in terms of access to affordable housing.

The Benefits Service pays a large amount of money to tenants of Housing Associations and Registered Social Landlords. The prompt payment of claims and the maximisation of entitlement therefore underpin the provision of affordable housing to Havants residents. For many tenants, the payment of HB is essential to securing and maintaining a tenancy and for the providers of social housing in Havant it represents an important source of income.

Close liaison and partnership arrangements with Parchment Housing and other Housing Associations are key to the Benefits Services aims in relation to openness and accessibility.

Claims that are made in respect of privately rented accommodation are subject to valuations made by the Rent Officer which ensure that rents met by rent allowance are reasonable. The Benefits Service will therefore continue to work with claimants and landlords to ensure that claimants can exercise choice in relation to affordable housing:

choice is supported by paying claims quickly and therefore ensuring that HB claimants are not prejudiced in finding somewhere to live;
affordability is supported by the controls that the Benefits Service enforce if rents are too high or the accommodation of a poor standard.

Protecting the Councils finances

The Benefits Service will protect public funds in the administration of HB/CTB and ensure that the Councils financial position is protected and revenue maximised wherever possible. This will be achieved through:

audit controls around specific areas where subsidy can be lost;
maximising overpayment recovery;
reducing Council Tax arrears;
ensuring that procedures are in place to prioritise areas where subsidy incentives are payable.

The level of subsidy payable for HB/CTB varies according to the type of case and there are certain areas of the Schemes where reduced subsidy is payable. This therefore represents a direct financial loss to the Council. Specific areas where subsidy loss is incurred are: backdated awards of benefit; overpayments of benefit; and cases where unreasonably high rents are being charged. In many instances, subsidy loss cannot be avoided as it is required by the Regulations. However, the requisite monitoring controls and staff training can reduce the risk of the incorrect amount of subsidy being claimed in areas which are often complex and sometimes ambiguous.

Reducing the number of overpayments is part of the Benefits Services commitment to accuracy. However, there are many instances where these cannot be avoided (where the Council is notified of changes late) or where they actively need to be sought out (where fraudulent claims are identified). Overpayments are an area where significant loss can be incurred due to the reduced level of subsidy payable. This can be substantially mitigated by the recovery of overpaid benefit which therefore represents a source of revenue to the Council.

The recovery of overpayments has to be mitigated by the need to avoid causing claimants undue hardship, but the Benefits Service will adopt an overpayment recovery policy that:

recognises the need to consider individual cases on their merits;
seeks recovery by the most cost effective and appropriate means;
seeks recovery from the most appropriate source (which will include landlords and Housing Associations);
supports the Councils priorities in relation to the prevention of fraud;
ensures that all recovery procedures are lawful and transparent;
has a clear write-off procedures for debts that cannot be recovered.

The recovery of overpaid benefit represents a source of revenue for the Council whilst delays in the payment of HB/CTB can lead to claimants being pursued for debts that they do not owe or confusion as to the contribution they have to make. The prompt and accurate payment of HB/CTB is, of course, a cornerstone of providing joined-up services that reduce poverty and meet the needs of claimants across service areas.

APPENDIX 1 CUSTOMER SERVICES POLICY

APPENDIX 2 STRATEGY FOR COMBATING BENEFIT FRAUD AND ERROR

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Havant Borough Council, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2AX