Welfare Reform - Some big changes ahead for those claiming benefits, read on........

Early in 2011 the Government introduced its Welfare Reform Bill.  The bill introduces a wide range of reforms to make the benefits and tax credits system fairer and simpler. 

The changes are expected achieve:-

• the creation of the right incentives to get more people into work by ensuring work always pays
• protection for the most vulnerable in our society
• fairness to those claiming benefit and to the tax payer.

This has brought about huge changes for the social housing sector, with tenants seeing more changes in a short period of time than have ever been seen before.

The main elements of the Welfare Reform Bill are:-

• the introduction of Universal Credit to provide a single streamlined benefit that will ensure work always pays
• a stronger approach to reducing fraud and error with tougher penalties for the most serious offences
• a new claimant commitment showing clearly what is expected of claimants while giving protection to those with the greatest needs
• reforms to Disability Living Allowance, through the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment to meet the needs of disabled people today
• creating a fairer approach to Housing Benefit to bring stability to the market and improve incentives to work
• driving out abuse of the Social Fund system by giving greater power to local authorities
• reforming Employment and Support Allowance to make the benefit fairer and to ensure that help goes to those with the greatest need
• changes to support a new system of child support which puts the interest of the child first.

 

How may it effect you?

VIDEO CLIP - The Government's welfare reforms could hit families and vulnerable people hard, find out more by clicking on the link below, and watching the NHF's video. This video clip explains 3 of the biggest changes coming in, and in very simple terms.

http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/social_inclusion_and_welfare/welfare_reform.aspx

 

Universal Credit - Do you have a bank account in order to receive your benefits?

As most of you will know, your housing benefit is currently paid directly to Coastline Housing every 4 weeks.

Housing Benefit will be one of the benefits to form the new 'Universal Credit' as part of the government's 'Welfare Reform'.  When Universal Credit starts being rolled out from October 2013, many customers will be expected to receive their money themselves, and then pay their rent to their Landlord.

Universal Credit is expected to be paid electronically, straight into a bank account, so you will need to ensure you have an account to receive your money.

We have links to a number of High Street Basic Bank accounts on our Financial Inclusion page, which can be accessed by clicking here.

For more information on Universal Credit and the Welfare Reform bill click on the image below to access the DWP's web page.

A link to the Universal Credit white paper can be found at the bottom of this page.