The
Social Fund Commissioner's 2009/2010 Annual Report is
Published
Social Fund Reform
Green Paper: Social Fund Commissioner's Response June 2010
Changes to Rules about Repeat Applications for Living Expenses
like Food and Fuel
New Eligibility Rules for Crisis Loans in Pathfinder Regions.
(April 2009)
Changes to Interview
Procedures
Changes to Budgeting
Loans
Employment and Support
Allowance
Changes to Rules about Repeat
Applications
Mythbusters
Conference Workshops
IRS Publication Scheme
Update
The Social Fund
Commissioner's 2009/2010 Annual Report is Published
This week sees the publication of the Social Fund
Commissioner's Annual Report for 2009/10 on Thursday 15th July. Headed by
Karamjit Singh CBE, Social Fund Inspectors based at the Independent Review
Service (IRS) provide an independent grievance process, by means of a review,
for applicants dissatisfied with Jobcentre Plus decisions on their applications
to the discretionary Social Fund.
The Social Fund is a scheme of grants
and interest-free loans that are provided by Government to help the poorest and
most vulnerable in society to meet needs such as basic household items,
clothing and to meet the cost of minor repairs to their homes. People can also
apply for an urgent crisis loan if they need help with daily living expenses.
Karamjit Singh said "During the period 2009/10 there has been a sharp
increase in the workload to 49,927 cases. This is a rise of 73% on the workload
for the previous year. We have also conducted a critical review of the work
processes and delivered Inspector reviews at a lower unit cost than for the
previous year. Everyone has worked with great commitment during a year in which
we have experienced our highest workload since 1988, when the Social Fund was
established. We must not forget that the customer should be the focus of our
attention."
In June 2010, the Social Fund Commissioner responded
to the Department's consultation paper on further reform to the Social Fund.
The Green Paper represented the first time in 22 years that there had been an
extensive consultation in relation to the Social Fund, and the Commissioner
welcomed the opportunity to reflect on a number of issues. In March 2010, he
also responded to the Administrative Justice and Tribunal Council's
consultation on principles for administrative justice.
To view The Social Fund
Commissioner's Annual Report and his Green Paper response online please visit
www.irs-review.org.uk.
To obtain a hard copy of the
Commissioner's Annual Report, please contact Justine Bird at the IRS (telephone
0121 606 2133, e-mail
Justine.Bird@irs-review.org.uk).
Changes to Rules about Repeat Applications for Living Expenses
like Food and Fuel
There
have been important changes to Direction 7 affecting repeat applications for
Crisis Loans. Effective from April 2009, this change only applies to repeat
applications for Crisis Loans for living expenses, where the applicant has
already had a Crisis Loan award for the same period. Generally speaking, a
second award for the same period will now only be made if there has been an
emergency or disaster that has arisen since the previous decision. Secondly,
the crisis must not be:
- a consequence of an
act or omission for which the applicant or partner is responsible, and
- The applicant or
partner could not have taken reasonable steps to avoid.
New
Eligibility Rules for Crisis Loans in Pathfinder Regions. (April
2009)
If an applicant lives
in a part of the UK defined as a Jobcentre Plus Pathfinder area, then
additional tests now apply to eligibility for Crisis Loans for Living Expenses.
Interviews: If an applicant has made 2 or more living expenses
applications in the past 12 months, then on the 3rd (or more) application they
shall be required to take part in an interview with a member of Jobcentre Plus
staff. During this interview they must provide such information in connection
with the application at the interview as the Decision Maker may reasonably
require. However, where appropriate, the Decision Maker may waive this
requirement for an interview.
3 or more awards: An
applicant will not be eligible for a Crisis Loan for living expenses if they
have already had 3 relevant awards in a rolling 12 month period. Introduction
of this new Rule is being staggered so the start date of the 12 month period
will vary. Disregarded awards include Crisis Loan payments when someone is
waiting for benefits to be assessed, and when the benefit claim ends and they
are without wages. Again, there are exceptions. An applicant will be eligible
if they are in a disaster or an emergency which is not a consequence of an act
or omission for which the applicant or his partner is responsible and the
applicant or his partner could not have taken reasonable steps to avoid.
Changes to Interview
Procedures
From April 2009
there have been changes to Direction 33 affecting when Jobcentre Plus Reviewing
Officers must offer the applicant or their representative an interview before
completing their review of the case:
Applications for Community
Care Grants and Crisis Loans - In certain circumstances, an interview will
still be offered before the review decision. For example, if there is
information from a 3rd party the applicant is unaware of, or if there is
difficulty accepting the applicant's own information. If there is no interview,
the officer should still seek out any information that is necessary (this could
be through written or telephone enquiries).
Applications for Budgeting
Loans - Generally there will not be an interview, but the applicant will be
contacted if they have disputed key facts.
Changes to Budgeting
Loans
Since the Social
Funds inception budgets have been managed on a local level. This remains the
case with community care grants. However, from April 2009 there is one national
loans budget for England, Scotland & Wales. Direction 41 requires that
Decision Makers must implement the fixed baseline figures set for budgeting
loans by the Secretary of State. This means that applicants can access the same
rates irrespective of where they live.
Employment and Support Allowance
A new benefit, Employment and Support Allowance came
into effect on 27 October. It replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support
where someone makes a new claim to benefit on the grounds that they cannot work
because of illness or disability. Existing claimants will continue to receive
Incapacity Benefit or Income Support for the time being.
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance is a qualifying
benefit for eligibility for community care grants and budgeting loans, along
with Income Support, income-based Job Seekers Allowance and Pension
Credit.
Changes to
Rules about Repeat Applications
There are new rules about repeat applications with effect from 1
September 2008. Direction 7 now reads:
' A decision maker shall not determine an application for a crisis
loan or grant from the social fund made within 28 days of a previous
application by the same person for a crisis loan or grant for the same expense
for which a payment has already been awarded or refused, unless there has been
a relevant change of circumstances.'
Mythbusters
A number of myths have grown up around the Social Fund. Is what you
have been told a fact, or a myth? Don't be caught out - read our new
Mythbusters
section in the IRS Review pages of the website.
Conference Workshops
The aim of Conference-Workshops is for representatives from the IRS
to meet delegates from welfare rights groups and support organizations who may
have an interest in the Social Fund. This is an opportunity for delegates who
do not know much about the Social Fund to learn more, and for those who have
used the Social Fund to share their experiences with the conference.
There are two types of Conference-Workshop. The shorter ones normally
last about half a day. They include a presentation by the IRS representatives,
during which questions are welcomed, and a further opportunity to discuss any
issues affecting the operation of the Social Fund in that geographical area.
Some Conference Workshops are extended to include discussions on the issues
arising in illustrative case studies. For either type of event, the atmosphere
is informal, and open discussion is encouraged.
During 2008/2009 the venues
have been Middlesbrough, Manchester, Perth, Sheffield, Plymouth, Ashford
(Kent), London, Norwich, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent and Hull. Our plan for
2009/10 is to run the shorter version of the Conference-Workshops in
Brighton, Carlisle, Derby, Ipswich, London, Peterborough, Swindon,
Wolverhampton and Wrexham, and extended Conference-Workshops in
Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bristol, Edinburgh and Newcastle. We issue
invitations to organisations in the area that we think may like to send a
delegate. If you would like to nominate a delegate, let Martin Keeves know.
We aim to cover most parts of Great Britain in about a two-year
cycle. If you do not think we have visited your area and think it would benefit
from a Conference-Workshop, contact
Martin.Keeves@irs-review.org.uk
IRS
Publication Scheme Update
The IRS publication Scheme page has been updated. The scheme aims to
make as much information as possible about the IRS and its work easily
available to the public. The page has been updated to include details of the
IRS race equality scheme.
Please click
here to be
taken to the Freedom of Information page, which provides more detail on the
Publication scheme itself and the information which is available. Alternatively
contact Richard Plant at
Richard.Plant@irs-review.org.uk or 0121 606 2222
|
