Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services)

Universal Credit (UC) is the new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit which replaces a range of existing benefits. The report considers a proposed Delivery Partnership Agreement with the Department For Work and Pensions which outlines the Councils role in supporting the delivery of the Stockport Universal Credit pilot from 17 November 2014.

The Executive is recommended to note content of the report and approve the Delivery Partnership Agreement.

Officer contact: Alison Blount; 0161 474 5107; alison.blount@stockport.gov.uk

The Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider a proposed partnership agreement between the Council and the Department for Work and Pensions for the delivery of support to claimants of the new Universal Credit.

RESOLVED – That the content of the report be noted and the Universal Credit Partnership Agreement be approved.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

The report details the arrangements for the implementation of the Universal Credit in Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact Alison Blount   on Tel: 0161 474 5107 or by email on alison.blount@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out the arrangements for the implementation of the Universal Credit in Stockport. During the pilot phase the Council will be required to carry out:

·         Support for customers claiming on line

·         Personal Budgeting Support (PBS)

·         Processing Local Council Tax Support paper notifications

·         Dealing with the DWP’s housing costs queries

The Deputy Executive Leader and Portfolio holder for Corporate, Customer and Community Services (Councillor Iain Roberts) attended the meeting to answer member’s questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The need to learn from the pilots across Greater Manchester in relation to new models to support the wider rollout of Universal Credit in future years.

·         The need to support people who are identified as needing Personal Budgeting Support.

·         The requirement of claiming benefit is the “Claimant Commitment” which required people to spend 35 hours per week job searching would put demand on Council IT provision across the Borough especially in libraries.

·         Funding for the Local Assistance Scheme would continue beyond March 2015.

·          Under the “Alternative Payment Arrangement” there was a criteria to determine when the housing element of Universal Credit would be paid directly to the landlord rather than the claimant.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

The report details the arrangements for the implementation of the Universal Credit in Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Alison Blount on 474 5107 or email: alison.blount@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing proposals for the introduction of Universal Credit in Stockport following trials undertaken elsewhere in Greater Manchester.

Tim Mazzucchi (Implementation Manager, Department for Work and Pensions) also attended the meeting to answer councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Whilst Universal Credit would seek to simplify and consolidate a range of existing benefits, it was acknowledged that in the short term this would not include Council Tax Benefit claims which would need to be processed separately.

·         It was noted that in the initial phase, claimants would be required to have a transactional bank account in order to be transferred to Universal Credit and work was ongoing to expand the range of bank accounts that would be accepted.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.