How it works (at the moment)

The assessment period:

Did this affect your health?

This does impact on customers ability to engage well – need to be persistent

What customers say about the 5 week wait for UC:

“I had to live with friends”

“No heating, electric or food and my debts mounted up

causing stress”

“I have a history of depression and all of the above

impacted on my mental wellbeing”

“I worried about the arrears accruing for rent”

“ I was freezing & had a chest infection, was starving & lost

weight. I had to go to court for various bills and got

threatening letters”

What customers say about the 5 week wait for UC:

“ I struggled and contemplated suicide – I had to see my GP. I Really struggled”

“It was stressful. I was malnourished and cold”

“There was a mental and physical impact- I was going through detox from prescription drugs. I

had to attend a soup kitchen”

“I suffer from depression and the stress of increasing arrears and mounting bills made me

unwell”

“I had to reassess the food I ate due to being diabetic”

“Not paying rent has caused a lot of stress. This resulted in health problems such as skin

problems”

Were you told you could get an advance?

Feedback shows that claimants want more information

If you were offered an advance, did you take it?

The ones that don’t are worried about paying it back

Advance payments

• Customers don’t always take an advance – 3 types available, may not be offered them & may need to ask:

• New claim advance – time limited/show hardship/recovered over 6 months

• Benefit transfer advance – not time limited recovery over 12 months

• Change of circumstances advance – show hardship/recovered over 6 months

• All are 50% of the expected award

Were you told you need to use UC to pay your rent?

Contact all new claimants and ensure their understanding

How do you prefer to pay your rent?

Customers don’t like DD – less control?

Do you know the balance on your rent account?

Send monthly statements or text, especially if no on-line access

How did you find the UC claim process?

A curve is to be expected – possible to predict who will struggle?

Were you told how long it would take to process your UC claim?

Customers are keen to have this sort of information but don’t always take it in – get them to write it down

Was your claim processed on time?

Help customers plan for the wait time – really tough

Were you paid the right amount of UC?

Ensure customers know what to expect – use a benefits calculator

Are you paid the same amount each month?

We need to think about how we can predictentitlement

Are you paid on the same date each month?

If payment date falls on a weekend or bank holiday payment is made early – check when setting DD date

Were you offered help with budgeting?

New conversation for work coaches, what support can housing income teams give?

Did you need help with budgeting?

What are your local arrangements, can you influence this? Some RP’s commissioned to do the work in their area.

Moving forward:

Did the job centre explain that you would get a single monthly payment?

Did you go without any of the following while waiting for your first UC payment?