Welfare Reform Implementation & Support
Programme
ADSW Welfare Reform Seminar
Edinburgh
11th April 2013
Mark McAteer &
Andrew Noble
The Improvement Service
Overview
• Welfare Reform - key impacts & issues
• Welfare Reform Implementation Support Programme
(WRISP)
• Challenges & Issues for Social Work Services
• Questions & Discussion
Welfare Reform – a summary
• The biggest shake up of the welfare and benefits system for 60
years set against the deepest recession in 70 years
• Reduction in the welfare budget of between £2.5 billion & £4.5 billion
in Scotland up to 2015
• Main focus April 2013 onwards :
- simplify the system & ‘make work pay’- Universal Credit
- active labour market measures Incapacity Benefit to ESA; the
Work Programme etc.
- reduce benefit levels & entitlements
- stigmatise the poor ?
Key Impacts: For Councils
•
Revenue & Service Pressures
- Housing Benefit : ‘bedroom tax’ under occupy by 1 room 14%
reduction, 2 rooms or more 25% reduction
- Council Tax 10% cut to funding, SG is making up in 2013-14
- Welfare Fund with Councils rather than DWP; for Crisis &
Community Care Grants: demand led
- Timescales to introduce new services/ systems/ processes
•
New Demands
- Advice & support
- Education/ Housing/ Employment & Econ Development/ Social
Work.....
- Providing access: digital by default (80:20 split)
Key Impacts: For Households
•
Reduced income levels
- Benefit cap at £500 per family household, £350 per single person
- Reduction in the rate of benefit up-rating (1%)
- Under occupancy impact UK Gov: 80K; SG 105K (81% 1 room)
- increased indebtedness
•
DLA - PIP reassessment; budget reduction of 20%; 70,000 people will move off
DLA/ PIP to other benefits or Work Programme
•
Digital exclusion – approx. 50% households with income under £15K p.a. have
no home internet access or 41% households in 15% most deprived communities
by SIMD
•
Increased stress - jobless households to show active work search or will be
sanctioned by DWP; working households receiving WTC to show active effort to
increase work hours to reduce need for WTC
Key Impacts: For Communities
• Clustering affects - reduction in resilience; reinforcement of already
–ve outcomes; further marginalisation & exclusion
• 3rd sector being squeezed – so who is the backstop
• Economic impact – 90% of benefits spent in local economy
• Most vulnerable are most at risk - disabled; alcohol & drug addicted;
former looked after children; carers (adults & children); lone parent
families; families that have broken down; homeless; those fleeing
domestic abuse; chronically ill; non home owners.......
Key Challenges For Social Work Services
•
Your main client groups will be disproportionately impacted upon - “cost
shunting” from DWP ?
•
Increased demand on your services - disaggregate & profile the demand &
target your responses; ‘prevention’ focus.......
•
Integrated working other council services - Housing; Education; Revenue &
Benefits (referral process from WF to SWS; criteria for passported benefits);
Customer Services (debt management & advice); ICT (system updates/
developments) etc
•
Engaging partners - NHS; Police; Enterprise; RSL’s; 3rd Sector; community
groups etc
•
Getting staff/ elected members aware & engaged
Welfare Reform Implementation Support Programme
(WRISP)
• Jointly funded programme between SG & IS
Programme Objectives
•
Deliver practical support to Councils & CPPs concerning both general &
specific needs around the implementation of WR
•
Collate & co-ordinate wider work to implement WR & provide a platform to
exchange information & good practice
•
Try to ensure that the implementation of WR is undertaken in a way which
minimise the negative impact on outcomes for communities & families &
helps support better long term outcomes for individuals, families &
communities
WRISP Initial Focus
• Establish a Knowledge Hub for Welfare Reform - expand & extend
its usage/ value to users
• “Preparedness” checklist for Local Authorities covering key areas of
WR - Informing the development of the Programme Workplan
• Support established national groups in carrying out their work
around WR
• Elected Members master class/ workshops & briefing materials
WRISP Objectives Going Forward
•
Knowledge sharing through expansion, development & promotion of the WR
Scotland K-HUB
•
Promote understanding of the impacts of WR & mitigation approaches
•
Support the implementation & dissemination of knowledge from the Scottish
Government Welfare Reform- Universal Credit pilots
•
Provide specific support to local Councils/ CPPs based on initial feedback from the
preparedness checklist
•
Link with related IS programmes to develop coherent approaches to mitigation
around prevention, money advice services, economic development, CPP reform
Q&A
• Question: What does the new welfare landscape mean
for design and delivery of services and how might we
begin to address the challenges this presents for the
individuals and families who rely on social work services
for support?
• Question: What impact will Welfare Reform have on
strategic Social Work developments- Health and Social
Care integration, GIRFEC, adult and children’s services?
Further Information
Andrew Noble, Programme Manager
andrew.noble@improvementservice.org.uk
knowledgehub.local.gov.uk/group/welfarereformscotland