Week Starting 16/05/22
Child Maintenance Arrangements
Get help arranging child maintenance is a new online service which supports separated parents to understand their options around making financial arrangements for their children. It has replaced Child Maintenance Options. The service is available 24/7 and explains customers’ options and includes information about family-based arrangements as well as the Child Maintenance Service (CMS).
Clients who are unable to use the online service can speak to a CMS case worker on 0800 171 2345, 8.00 -16.00 Monday to Friday.
SSDC Revenues
As of last week SSDC Revenues (who we interact with mainly for Council Tax reasons) where running 4-6 months behind, with their workload increasing. It would appear the processing of the Council Tax Rebate has had a direct impact on their other responsibilities. We have mainly seen this in processing of CT Discount applications. There is now no timescale that we can quote to clients when making these applications so please be careful. Clients should be encouraged to pay what they can in the meantime.
Expansion of Restart Scheme
On 9/5 a change was made to the eligibility criteria for Restart. This change will mean that to be eligible for a referral, claimants will no longer have to have spent nine months in the Work Search conditionality group (or regime as they are called). Time spent in other regimes will count towards the nine-month period on UC to make the claimant eligible. This change will allow claimants to be selected for consideration for a referral to the Restart Scheme who have spent at least 9 months on UC, or have spent the last 6 months in any (or a combination) of the Light Touch Out of Work, No Work-Related Requirements, Work Focused Interview or Work Preparation. Participation in the Restart Scheme will continue to be mandatory for all claimants that are referred. Expect to see clients referred with or without agreement!
Cost of Living Updates
– Phone and Broadband Social Tariffs – More companies have launched phone and broadband social tariffs for people on certain benefits. You can find the full list of deals now available on the Ofcom website.
– Council Tax Rebates – SSDC are processing the £150 energy rebates as quickly as they can
– HSF – There are no updates on this
Don’t forget to use the ‘Cost of Living’ and ‘Council Tax Rebate’ tags in Casebook.
Search ‘Cost of Living’ in VA Pro
Ukraine Updates
– Yeovil Resettlement Hub – A weekly hub hosted by at the Gateway by Y4F 10am-12pm every Wednesday. Ukrainian citizens and hosts are welcome. It is primarily to support people with Employment, Benefits. Luke is going down there each Wednesday currently 😊
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
Search ‘Ukraine’ in VA Pro
Week Starting 09/05/22
Referring Clients to an Ombudsman Does work
The Housing Ombudsman has made a finding of severe maladministration against Clarion Housing Group. The finding was in relation to the social landlord’s handling of the tenant’s complaints regarding a leaking roof, damp and mould and cracks. Clarion was ordered to pay the tenant compensation of £1,100 on top of the £1,200 it had previously offered. You can read the report on the Housing Ombudsman Service website
National Insurance numbers (NINOs) and Benefits
Not having a NINO sometimes crops up as a barrier to claiming benefits for non UK nationals. It is true that there is a NINO requirement for some benefits (including UC) but that requirement is only that the client provides enough information for a NINO to be allocated. Therefore, there is no need for the client to have a NINO before a claim as one is created as part of the claims process. This policy, to treat benefit claims as an application for NINO, is confirmed in the DWP’s own guidance.
If the client does not have a NINO (for example as a person who has recently migrated to the UK), then an application for a NINO will be initiated from within the DWP if entitlement to benefit is established.
Phone and Broadband Social Tariffs
More companies have launched phone and broadband social tariffs for people on certain benefits. You can find the full list of deals now available on the Ofcom website.
Cost of Living Updates
– British Gas Energy Support Fund – British Gas Energy Trust (BGET) has launched a new Energy Support Fund which will run in addition to their existing Energy Trust Fund. Through the new fund, British Gas customers with fuel debt of £250 to £750 can apply for grants. The fund is aimed at ‘the most financially vulnerable British Gas customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills’
– Council Tax Rebates – SSDC are processing the £150 energy rebates as quickly as they can. Clients who do not pay by direct debit will be contacted and asked to complete a short application form. Clients will not necessarily know they have been paid this grant so please ask people to check if appropriate
Don’t forget to use the ‘Cost of Living’ and ‘Council Tax Rebate’ tags in Casebook.
Search ‘Cost of Living’ in VA Pro
COVID Updates
No updates
Ukraine Updates
– Ukraine visa extension scheme now open – The government has launched the Ukraine visa extension scheme for Ukrainians who are in the UK on other visas and who want to extend their stay in the UK. To be eligible they must:
be Ukrainian or the immediate family member of a Ukrainian national who is applying to the scheme
have had permission to be in the UK (for example a visa) on 18/3/22. If they previously had permission to stay in the UK but it expired on or after 1/1/22 they are also eligible to apply
The visa is free of charge, and they do not have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. It lasts for 3 years but will not be a route to settlement.
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
Search ‘Ukraine’ in VA Pro
Week Starting 02/05/22
Outreaches
Crewkerne outreach at the Town Hall is now operating on Wednesdays between 10 am and 1 pm. Wincanton outreach at the Balsam Centre is now operating from 10am until 2pm on Thursdays. You can direct clients to drop in to these sessions where appropriate.
Automated System to Extend PIP Awards
In response to a question raised regarding ongoing delays in assessments for claims for PIP, the DWP Minister stated that an automated digital solution to extend some awards had been developed to stop them falling out of payment. This should apply to claimants who are in the process of having their awards reviewed and assessment is delayed due to the backlog
The Return of Mandatory Migration
The government has confirmed that managed migration for legacy benefit claimants to UC will resume next month – ‘Starting with a multi-site approach across the country with a small number of claimants’. The previous pilot provided ‘valuable insights’ and ‘we will continue to develop our processes and systems to scale the migration process and complete by 2024′
Cost of Living Updates
– Money and Mental Health Policy Institute Guidance to energy providers – The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute has published a practical guide to help energy firms support vulnerable customers struggling to pay their energy bills.
– Council Tax Rebates – SSDC are processing the £150 energy rebates as quickly as they can. Clients who do not pay by direct debit will be contacted and asked to complete a short application form. Clients will not necessarily know they have been paid this grant so please ask people to check if appropriate
Don’t forget to use the ‘Cost of Living’ and ‘Council Tax Rebate’ tags in Casebook.
Search ‘Cost of Living’ in VA Pro
COVID Updates
No updates
Ukraine Updates
No updates
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
Search ‘Ukraine’ in VA Pro
UC Capital Disregards
From 4/5/22 UC Regulations will be amended to include a specific capital disregard for payments by way of local welfare provision, for 12 months. For example, the ‘thank you’ payments under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and payments under the Household Support Fund. This disregard already exists in ‘legacy benefits’ and pension credit.
UC Decision Making
There are four new Adviser Online articles on UC decisions to help advise clients. You may find these interesting:
- Universal Credit Decisions
- Universal Credit Supersessions
- Universal Credit Revisions
- Suspension and termination of Universal Credit awards
Cost of Living Updates
– Discount Rail Tickets – Train operators across the network are offering savings of up to 50% on off-peak rail tickets for journeys from 25 April to 27 May as part of the Great British Rail Sale. Tickets can be bought online from participating retailers.
Don’t forget to use the ‘Cost of Living’ tag in Casebook.
Search ‘Cost of Living’ in VA Pro
COVID Updates
– New Government Guidance – The government has published new guidance to cover those with Covid-19 or other infectious viruses (note covid-19 is now being talked about like any other infectious virus), following the withdrawal of legal requirements to take specific measures. The advice is to stay home if you feel too unwell to work, and take appropriate measures to protect others if you have to go out. If you have tested positive but are asymptomatic, it is recommended to work from home for the first 5 days if possible.
You can read the new guidance on GOV.UK.
Ukraine Updates
– Right to work and rent checks – There’s now specific guidance for employers on right to work checks for Ukrainians, and for landlords on right to rent checks, for Ukrainians and their family members who have arrived in the UK on one of the visa schemes. Employers and landlords can rely upon:
a Ukrainian passport with the initial 6 months leave to enter, whilst the leave is valid
a ‘form for affixing a visa’ – a special visa for those who travelled without passports. This can be accepted provided the landlord/employer does an online check and gets a positive right to rent/ work verification notice
a biometric residence permit, the employer will need to do an online check
– Free UK immigration advice for Ukrainians – A group of volunteer legal professionals are offering to give free UK immigration and asylum advice to Ukrainian citizens affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. You can find more information on the Ukraine Advice Project UK website.
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
Search ‘Ukraine’ in VA Pro
Week Starting 18/04/22
General Immigration Updates
– Immigration application waiting times – The Home Office has said that all application waiting times will increase because they are working on Ukraine applications
– Immigration fee changes – From 6/4/22 some immigration fees will increase – for instance a 6-month visitor visa has increased by £5 to £100, the standard in-country extension fee rises £15 to £1,048, and for indefinite leave by the same amount so it’s now £2,404
– BRPs and right to work/rent checks – From 6/4/22 an employer or landlord cannot accept a Biometric Residence Permit as proof of immigration status and must conduct an online check
Decision on the Meaning of Full-time education for UC
An Upper Tribunal decision has considered the definition of full-time education in the Universal Credit Regulations 2013. The decision confirms that if an institution classifies a course as full-time, this should be accepted as conclusive unless there is strong evidence to challenge it.
Benefit Cap
An update that the monthly earnings threshold for exemption from the benefit cap in UC has increased to £658.67
Passports
HM Passport Office is still reporting a turn around time of 10 weeks to receive a new passport in the run up to peak holiday season.
Cost of Living Updates
No updates
COVID Updates
No updates
Ukraine Updates
– The DWP has issued new guidance on the recent regulations allowing people arriving from Ukraine to claim benefits straight away. The guidance confirms that people in this situation are exempt from the past presence test and habitual residence test.
Clients will come under the exception if they were residing in Ukraine immediately before 1/1/22 and left in connection with the invasion.
The guidance states that the new regulations should be taken into account for any decision made from 22 March 2022 onwards, including where the claim was made before then
– Homes for Ukraine – Please keep appraised with this scheme as we start to get queries about the on-going stages in it, for example interim and monthly payments for hosts and CT implications now that people from Ukraine have been homed in Somerset
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
Casebook Document Upload
There is a new tool that some of you may have seen in Casebook. If you go to a case and choose the Attachments tab you will see a button called “Send Upload Link to Client”. This does what it says on the tin and provides a very simple, secure mechanism to upload directly into casebook and on to the case.
Note: Please do not use this unless you wish to see the attachment or there are follow up tasks, otherwise nobody will know if the client has done it! The option on the CA Somerset remains for all other general document submissions.
Divorce
The new divorce laws are now in force. Before advising anybody on questions around divorce please familiarise yourself with the relevant changes if you have not done so already, they are significant.
One point of note is that cost orders are now unlikely to be made in most cases. This is in line with the idea of no fault and joint applications.
CA Public website pages have been updated and some removed.
Note: CourtNav, the RCJ Advice tool, can no longer be used to register for legal help to apply for divorce, only non-molestation and occupation orders.
Job Centre Opening Over Easter
Offices and phone lines are closed on Friday 15 and Monday 18 April. To make sure people receive their payments on a day when Jobcentre Plus offices are open, arrangements have been made to make some payments early. If the expected payment date is Friday 15 or Monday 18 April then benefits will be paid early on Thursday 14 April.
Single Phone Number for Government Bereavement Services
From 11/04/22 clients will now be able to access the following bereavement services through a single phone number 0800 151 2012:
– Report a death, provide information and find out what support is available following a bereavement;
– Make a new or, manage an existing claim for Bereavement Benefit or Bereavement Support Payment
– Make a new or, manage an existing claim for Funeral Expenses Payments
– Request State Pension updates following the death of a spouse or civil partner
This does not replace the Tell Us Once Service.
Cost of Living Updates
No updates
COVID Updates
No updates
Ukraine Updates
– The government has published FAQs on the Home for Ukraine scheme
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
A Well Deserved Pat on the Back
This was sent directly to the CEO of National CA by the client. The individual names have been removed as everything we do to help clients is done as a team effort:
Good Clare,
As the CEO of citizens advice I would just like to say a massive thank you to you and your skilled team.
I have in the past year found my average normal family and myself in some difficulty (things always happened to others never myself), which has lead to my partner, myself and my 3 child into some very scary and low moments.
I’m pleased to say we as a family we are on the up.
The reason for this message is because I wanted you to know the hard work of the Yeovil office in South Somerset especially……has gone above and beyond ten fold to help me and my family and……deserves some recognition.
We have both laughed and cried good tears and bad over the past year and I just wanted……to know……been our hero.
I don’t know if you will see this but maybe you could send on your appreciation of……work.
Kind regards
Sophia
Hopefully this sort of feedback will make you smile and reinforce the worth of what we do. Thank you.
Another Useful Shelter Tool
Child Maintenance Options
The government have published a new tool to help people understand their child maintenance options. This will be useful for clients
Free School Meals
The Minister for Children and Families has made a statement on free school meals saying these will continue to be available to low income families even where they have a no recourse to public funds (NRPF) or are an undocumented migrant. This was a temporary concession introduced during the pandemic that has now been made permanent.
HMRC benefits & Post Office Card Accounts (POCA)
Following a temporary HMRC extension to POCA users, the department has issued a reminder to the 7,500 HMRC benefit claimants who have yet to give new banking details. Claimants have until 5/4/22 to give new account details or their payments will be stopped until HMRC receives the new details.
Cost of Living Updates
HSF
The HSF is now closed. There is “new” HSF money but the scheme for this is not open and the criteria are likely to be different. Please do not encourage clients to apply until such time as more is known
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Government’s boiler upgrade scheme to provide grants for the installation of low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps is open from 1/1/22, for domestic and small non-domestic properties. Applicants will be able to get:
£5,000 off the cost and installation of an air source heat pump
£5,000 off the cost and installation of a biomass boiler (in rural locations and in properties that are not connected to the gas grid)
Clearly this has relevance to some of our clients given the number who rely on oil (rather than gas) which has become prohibitively expensive.
New CA Page
NMW increases
Workers aged 23 and over £9.50
Workers aged 21 and 22 £9.18
Workers aged 18 to 20 £6.83
Workers aged 16 and 17 £4.81
Apprentices £4.81
Benefit Uprating
All benefit uplifts for the year 2022-23 will come into force from 11/4/22.
Don’t forget about the cost of living tag in Casebook.
VA Pro will be updated on an on-going basis as useful new material becomes available. Search Cost of Living.
COVID Updates
SSP
Previous regulations from March 2020 suspended the 3 day waiting period for entitlement to SSP where a person was incapable of work due to infection with coronavirus or was isolating because of it. Those provisions expired on 24 March 2022.
Provisions which deemed a person to be incapable of work for SSP purposes due to isolation or shielding are also removed from 25/03/22. This now means that people with coronavirus will only be eligible for SSP if they are actually incapable of work. Similar protections which were brought in for ESA purposes will also expire on the same date.
Ukraine Updates
– VA Pro continues to be updated, search “Ukraine” .
– CA have published a new page on the web site covering the Homes for Ukraine scheme
– Useful article about the impact on Home for Ukraine and Benefits
Don’t forget to use the ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook.
New Divorce Procedures from 6/4/22
On 6/4/22 new divorce processes will be introduced. This applies to applications for divorce, ending a civil partnership, and judicial separation. The key changes in the law include:
– Introduction of ‘no fault’ divorce – no reason now needs to be given other than a statement that the marriage has broken down irretrievably
– It will not be possible to defend a divorce / dissolution of a civil partnership, only to dispute it
– Joint applications will now become possible
– There will be a different and longer timetable with a minimum of 26 weeks
– There will be a change in terminology used, ‘petitions’ will become ‘applications’, ‘Decree Nisi’ will become ‘Conditional Order’, ‘Decree Absolute’ will be a ‘Final Order’.
New CA pages will be coming soon.
2022 Benefit Uprating
All benefit uplifts for the year 2022-23 will come into force from 11/4/22.
HMRC benefits & Post Office Card Accounts (POCA)
Following a temporary HMRC extension to POCA users, the department has issued a reminder to the 7,500 HMRC benefit claimants who have yet to give new banking details. Claimants have until 5/4/22 to give new account details or their payments will be stopped until HMRC receives the new details.
Terminal Illness and Benefit Applications
From 4/4/22 the special rules for terminal illness will apply to a person whose death is reasonably expected within 12 months, rather than the current 6 months, for UC and ESA. Rules for PIP, DLA and AA will change later in the year.
Chancellors Spring Statement/Cost of Living
Last week the Chancellor delivered a Spring Statement that focused on the cost of living. The key immediately relevant points from this are:
– There will be an extra £500 million for the HSF, watch this space for updates
– NI thresholds will rise to £12,570 to align with the income tax personal allowance from July 2022. It is noted that this is only relevant to people working, not to the poorest sections of society
– Fuel duty for petrol and diesel was cut by 5p per litre from 23/3/22 to help drivers across the UK with rising costs. It is noted that this is relevant and may drive down the cost of food but does not directly help the poorest sections of society
Finally, don’t forget about the £150 CT rebate that will be paid through local councils.
Don’t forget about the cost of living tag in Casebook.
VA Pro will be updated on an on-going basis as useful new material becomes available. Search Cost of Living.
National Minimum Wage
From 1/4/22 the NMW rates increase. Please familiarise yourself with the significant increase.
Local Service Search
If you haven’t already notice, the Local Service Search (LSS) tool in Okta has replaced the search that used to be in Cablink (which is no more). You can use this to find local CA information based on postcode (but be cautious about services being up to date, someone has to do this at each LCA!)
COVID Updates
Mandatory Vaccinations for Healthcare staff
New vaccine regulations came into force on 15/3/22 removing the requirement for health care workers in England (including those entering care homes) to be vaccinated against Covid-19. All guidance to the contra has been withdrawn.
Travel
From 18/3/22 no-one entering the UK needs to take tests or complete a passenger locator form, regardless of their vaccination status. Other countries rules of entry may differ.
Ukraine Updates
This has yet to really impact Somerset but there is lots of information available nationally should you come across it. VA Pro will be updated, search “Ukraine” . There is also a lot of information in the CA and .Gov websites. Headlines as of last week:
– Mortgage companies confirm that consent is needed to host someone in a spare room under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, but most will grant this
– Habitual residence test will not be applied to Ukrainian refugees claiming benefits
– NHS Health charges are waived for newly arrived Ukrainians
– The pets of Ukrainians must quarantine when they arrive but the costs will be picked up by the government
– Rail and bus companies will provide free onward travel for Ukrainians to travel from their port of entry to their accommodation
The British Red Cross page on Help for Ukrainian nationals remains a good source of practical help on the visa schemes, travel to the UK and family tracing
Don’t forget to use the new ‘Ukraine’ tag in Casebook to help us keep track of how our services are being used.
