Minutes:
The Chair invited Rose Doran, Senior Adviser, to introduce the item.
Rose updated members on the recent developments on Universal Credit (UC), and made particular reference to the correspondence between Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LGA, and Neil Couling, Director General of UC.
Rose stated that the LGA has set out key concerns on Universal Support to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), whose response was that we should talk to Citizens Advice (CA). Engagement with CA has been positive, with an oversight strategy being shared between the LGA, CA and DWP at a national level.
Rose confirmed that the timescale for the implementation of Managed Migration will now be from late in 2019. UC Full Service roll-out for new claims will be complete by the end of December 2018. Rose concluded that the local government sector still has much anxiety about the impact of UC on councils and claimants.
Rose concluded that the on-going conversations with the UC programme remain largely operational focused, despite our best efforts to move to a more policy-based focus. A meeting between Mark Lloyd and Neil Couling is taking place in December where we will make the case for a more effective partnership working relationship.
The Chair thanked Rose for the update and welcomed members to comment:
- Members raised concerns over Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx) capacity, and gave good working examples of CABx outsourcing to the Job Centre Plus.
- Members also discussed the managed migration system rollout, and how this will be extremely slow. Rose stated that the managed migration system is likely to be tested from July, possibly with one or two different councils, and a maximum of 10,000 claimants. This will give the LGA an opportunity to influence the managed migration process.
- Members discussed the cumulative costs and impacts of UC, including the rise in evictions and use of temporary accommodation, which puts significant pressure on both councils to aid residents who can’t manage their finances. This in-turn increases the use of food banks, for example.
- Members discussed how confident the LGA are over influencing the decisions to change this. Rose confirmed to members that we need to keep lobbying.
Action
- Members noted the update.