To consider the responses to the Board’s recent “call for evidence” on the impact of welfare reform.

Attached is information received from Torbay Council, Torbay Citizens’ Advice Bureau, registered social landlords in Torbay, similar local authorities (plus a briefing note prepared by North West Employers on how different authorities are responding welfare reform) and members of the public.

During the course of 2012/2013, the Board had given consideration to the welfare reforms being implemented by central government, not least the introduction of the Council Tax Support Scheme to replace Council Tax Benefit and the changes to Housing Benefit.  These changes also included the amalgamation of different hardship funds as well as the transfer of some of those schemes to the local authority.

The Board’s report had been considered by the Council at its meeting on 6 December 2012.

As part of its Work Programme for the current year, the Board had agreed to review the impact of the changes to the welfare system, how those impacts were being mitigated and how future service changes may further impact those affected by welfare reform.

The Board had issued a “call for evidence” to different departments within Torbay Council, Torbay Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB), registered social landlords and comparator authorities.  The public were also invited to make representations.  The Board had before it the information which had been submitted as a result of the call for evidence.

The Executive Head – Finance and Revenue and Benefits Manager from Torbay Council attended the meeting together with the District Manager of Torbay CAB.

The Board noted that the number phone calls made to the Council’s Contact Centre in relation to Housing Benefit had more than doubled in April 2013 compared to the same month in the previous year.  Further figures were circulated at the meeting which showed that the increase in the number of phone calls had continued for each subsequent month compared to last year.  However, the Board was concerned about the proportion of those calls which had been abandoned which had peaked at 49.6% in April 2013 but ranged from 39.1% to 48.2% between May and August 2013. 

It was suggested that a dedicated telephone number solely for Housing Benefit queries could improve the handling rate of such calls.

Within the report from the Torbay CAB, members noted that Employment Support Allowance remains a significant enquiry area for the Bureau with a 28% increase in the number of people needing help with appeals.  Nationally 40% of clients who appeal against their work capability assessment had won; within Torbay the CAB had been successful with 95% of the appeals that it had undertaken.

The District Manager of CAB told the Board that a House of Commons Select Committee had been critical of the process being used to make work capability assessments.  He asserted that, whilst those claimants who sought advice from CAB were helped to make appeals, there were others who were not appealing.

The Board also had before it reports which had previously been submitted to the Cabinets of Portsmouth City Council and Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council on their approach to mitigating the effects of welfare reform in their areas. 

Recommended:  that the Executive Director of Operations and Finance explore the establishment of a dedicated phone line for Housing Benefit queries in order to increase the numbers of calls which are answered and resolved.

Resolved:  (i)  that Torbay Citizens’ Advice Bureau be requested to prepare a fuller report on the work it is carrying out in relation to the Employment Support Allowance which can be shared with Torbay’s two Members of Parliament to lobby on the community’s behalf;

(ii)        that the Director of Adult Services be requested to provide further information about how Torbay Council is mitigating the impacts of welfare reform from a strategic point of view and whether, specifically, there is anything the Council can learn from the approaches adopted by Portsmouth City Council or Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council; and

(iii)       that the Board receive a further update in three to six months time.