Issue - meetings

Questions Submitted Under Council Procedure Rule 10

Meeting: 17/01/2018 - Council (Item 41)

Question Submitted Under Council Procedure Rule 10

By Councillor Mrs Temperton to Councillor Birch, Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing:

 

Universal Credit is coming to Bracknell in February. What preparations are in place to advise and support claimants especially during any five/six week wait for receipt of their money?

Minutes:

Councillor Mrs Temperton asked Councillor D Birch, Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing the following published question:

 

Universal Credit is coming to Bracknell in February. What preparations are in place to advise and support claimants especially during any five/six week wait for receipt of their money?

 

In response Councillor D Birch stated that the question was not accurate as the Autumn budget had revised the implementation date to May 2018. He added that Universal Credit for single people had been operating in Bracknell Forest since September 2015. Officers were monitoring and supporting single people on universal credit  and 52 people moved onto it so far in 2017-18. The Council was contracted by Department for Work and Pensions to provide budgeting support for people referred to them by Job Centre and would continue to help couples and families with this life skill. The Autumn budget also proposed that new applicants would also get housing benefit for two weeks after their initial claim which would provide a financial buffer. Bracknell Forest officers were advising residents of the changes and there was the ability to ask for advance payments if they were in demonstrable hardship. He stated that the Council’s administration cared about its residents and offered means tested financial support.  

 

Councillor Mrs Temperton stated that she was pleased that the implementation date had been delayed, enquired what ICT support was available and whether residents were being offered support to complete the complicated forms. In reply to the supplementary question Councillor D Birch said that the Council had introduced ‘My benefits’, use of the site was increasing and it assisted claimants to assess benefits claims. He described the support system options that were available as officers were giving advice to residents who visited the offices, going out to sheltered housing schemes to  provide advice as well as training appropriate onsite staff such as wardens or attending people’s homes to provide direct advice or assisting family members. He concluded that support would be established and increased by April 2018 for people in the most need of support.


 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk