Important news about Social Fund

helen123456_2

On 31/3/2013, Social Fund is ending. Social Fund is run by Dept for Work & Pensions and offers Community Care Grants for people on benefits who need money to purchase household items such as bedding, settees, all white goods etc, clothes & bedding. It is mainly for families or disabled/sick people, but anyone who is on benefits and needs household items can apply. This is ENDING on 31/3/13 and after that, the local authority will be given the money by the government to help people out. However, the councils do not have to use the money to help people, if they chose to use the funding for mending potholes, they can do. There is still a lot of money in the DWP budget to spend on Community Care grants before 31/3 and at the moment they are paying for items that they would not normally pay for because the budget for CCGs quite literally has to be spent.

Budgeting loans and crisis loans are also ending on 31/3 and will cease to exist after that date.

DWP are not openly publicising these changes and therefore there will be a lot of vulnerable people who will miss out. My advise is to claim these grants now before it is too late. You can download the forms at Gov.uk or get them from any jobcentre, the worst that can happen is that they can say no!!!!.

Good luck

Robbie64

Budgeting Loans will still continue until Universal Credit is fully implemented, at that point BLs will be replaced by advances of benefit with the same qualifying criteria as at present other than a loan won't be given while one is still outstanding.

Crisis Loans are being abolished but payments can still be made to tide someone over eg where a claim has been made but benefit hasn't yet been paid. Otherwise, as you posted, local councils will become responsible for payments in an emergency.

Morlock

Robbie64 wrote: »

Budgeting Loans will still continue until Universal Credit is fully implemented...

Only for legacy claims, budgeting loans will not be available to universal credit claimants.

chelle_bell

Universal Credits is going to cause havoc, cant believe there are people out there that think its a good thing

:mad:

BigAunty

chelle_bell wrote: »

Universal Credits is going to cause havoc, cant believe there are people out there that think its a good thing

:mad:

There are 50 plus different types of benefits and allowances, the system is simply too complex.

It is clear that the current system also disincentivises some households from seeking employment or more employment because they are no better off.

UC is deffo going to have a lot of teething problems, I expect.

When the current government got into power, they found out that the UK pays out more in benefits than it receives in income tax receipts. This happened occasionally and briefly in the past but was set to be the norm, thanks to taxpayers paying a top up to those in no or low employment rather than the employers paying decent wagegs. Unsustainable.

daimonde

There is a lot, well pretty much everything LAs know about the Social Fund reforms here - http://dwp.gov.uk/local-authority-staff/social-fund-reform/

That is the page the DWP refer LAs too, ive had no other info & im the lead for our LA.

Crisis Loans for people awaiting benefit payments 'alignments' are to stay with the DWP & become Short Term Advances. Budgeting Loans will stay til UC & be re-badged as far as im aware.

The CCGs & CLs for living expenses & items from April, the bits that wont really exist & funding for is going to LAs, well what is going to happen is anyones guess.


Most councils will have to operate with a cut in funding, ours is approx 13% less than the current financial year.

One scheme ive seen the LA is putting the whole lot out to tender hoping local charities etc will run it but they havent had enough interest & wont have a proper scheme come April. Another will use almost the existing setup but with prepaid visacards for payments. Ive been contacted by Tesco directly who say theyve worked with other LAs to give out some kind of voucher system. Most will definitely look to avoid cash payments to cut costs.

Ive heard rumours of councils pocketing the money to offset cuts & not having any kind of scheme.

Its fair to say LAs have little to no experience of this & come April, with the replacement for Council Tax Benefit & the Bedroom Tax too, is going to be pretty challenging.

Robbie64

BigAunty wrote: »

There are 50 plus different types of benefits and allowances, the system is simply too complex.

It is clear that the current system also disincentivises some households from seeking employment or more employment because they are no better off.

UC is deffo going to have a lot of teething problems, I expect.

When the current government got into power, they found out that the UK pays out more in benefits than it receives in income tax receipts. This happened occasionally and briefly in the past but was set to be the norm, thanks to taxpayers paying a top up to those in no or low employment rather than the employers paying decent wagegs. Unsustainable.

The vast majority of benefits - over 65% of the welfare bill - goes to people over pension age.

The government, through their mouth pieces at The Sun and the Daily Mail, are leading everyone to believe it's the shirkers and not the strivers, who are bleeding the country dry.

The Sun and the Mail are trying to distract everyone from what rubbish they have published in the past. To satisfy their own agenda, basically.

[Deleted User]

BigAunty wrote: »

There are 50 plus different types of benefits and allowances, the system is simply too complex.

It is clear that the current system also disincentivises some households from seeking employment or more employment because they are no better off.

UC is deffo going to have a lot of teething problems, I expect.

When the current government got into power, they found out that the UK pays out more in benefits than it receives in income tax receipts. This happened occasionally and briefly in the past but was set to be the norm, thanks to taxpayers paying a top up to those in no or low employment rather than the employers paying decent wagegs. Unsustainable.

cutting the top rate of tax from 50 to 45% wont help then will it?but income tax is only part of the story,vat duty etc etc all provide income

missapril75

helen123456 wrote: »

...the worst that can happen is that they can say no!!!!.

Or that they can be so snowed under they have an enormous backlog of applications from people just trying their luck and are delayed in processing the applications from people whose circumstances would normally qualify them, so they have to spend unnecessary time in unsuitable accommodation while waiting for the grants that enable them to move.

helen123456_2

i wasn't meaning for people who were not entitled to claim, why would I encourage that????? What I actually was trying to do was to warn people that this grant will cease to exist in just a few short weeks time and by claiming yes, there may be some backlogs but it is better to have a backlog than for thousands of people who are very worthy of help to miss out altogether, wouldn;t you agree? Most areas seem to be processing CCG claims quickly at the moment, maybe DWP have put in some extra staff if they know it is ending. Either way, I stand by what I said about advising people to make a claim if they need help with household items. Come April there will be no guarantee that local authorities will use the money to help as the budget is not ringfenced, so many vulnerable people will miss out. DWP have a budget for Community Care Grants that has to be spent by April and I have heard that they are currently underspent.

Just trying to help

missapril75

helen123456 wrote: »

...by claiming yes, there may be some backlogs but it is better to have a backlog than for thousands of people who are very worthy of help to miss out altogether, wouldn;t you agree?.

Having first hand experience of the chaos created by such a back log I'd say not necessarily.

"Hello, I'm phoning about my application."

"When did you apply?"

"Three months ago and I've heard nothing."

"I'm sorry, we are currently working on applications made four months ago."

"But I'm out of addiction treatment and I'm still in a hostel full of other users and dealers."

"Sorry, so are those people waiting longer."


I think you are underestimating the effects; it's not simply just about getting your claim in before the deadline.

The thing with CCGs are that the greater number of people they are intended for are those moving as part of a program of planned resettlement or people needing help to remain independent.

There are exceptions but generally they have people working on their behalf already who are well capable of advising and advocating for CCGs and applications would be made.

If others are encouraged to apply, because there's nothing to lose, all that admin involved might cause people to wait even longer than they usually do, exacerbating whatever problems they already have.

That some might receive payments because the department is a bit "flush" and operating a bit more generously at this particular time might be great for them, but not so great for the others.