DEVELOPING A PREPARATION STRATEGY FOR WELFARE REFORM (BENEFIT CHANGES)

Transcription

1 DEVELOPING A PREPARATION STRATEGY FOR WELFARE REFORM (BENEFIT CHANGES) Hannah Manyewu Head of Housing Policy & Compliance Notting Hill Housing Group, London Slide 1

2 TODAY S PRESENTATION 1. Our preparation 2011/12 2. Where we are now 3. Tips for developing your preparation strategy 3. Our preparation strategy 2014/15 Slide 2

3 NOTTING HILL HOUSING OUR CONTEXT 16,000 general needs homes Across most London boroughs Huge restructure in 2010 to generic housing management Altogether Better service Small patches covering all work Service based on strong, personalised relationship between officer and customer High level of contact and knowledge of customers...in heads not always recorded History of high arrears Slide 3

4 FORMULATING OUR PLAN 1. Understanding the benefit changes and when they would be implemented 2.Understanding what we needed to know Likely impact on customers Likely impact on the business Likely impact on systems and processes 3. Identifying who needed to be involved not just housing teams IT, Finance, Comms (made business case for welfare benefits advisor) 4. Managed project by strand e.g. systems changes, communication to customers, information for staff 5. HP&C Team led the project 6. Maintained high profile for project, even though it was before any changes were live Slide 4

5 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Identifying who will be affected Income survey 20% of customers responded Creation of a report to identify under-occupiers of working age on full HB Development of reporting around non-dependents and tenants with disabilities Data sharing with local authorities Training our staff to be experts 125 housing officers aiming to carry out 100% annual visits by March 2013 Training, weekly e-updates and reminders, staff meetings Suite of guidance on our knowledge base including FAQs and regular updates Culture change for new tenancies Payments at sign-up Affordability calculator Setting up and incentivising direct debits Slide 5

6 Raising customer awareness Income survey Annual visits Suite of leaflets addressing the key changes and improving financial capability explaining options. Website and E-newsletters Computers in offices for customers to do on-line applications Big screens in reception with benefit change information Targeted mass-texting Money Advice roadshows with LAs and other RPs providers Partnerships with Debt Advice agencies and Credit Unions Supporting tenants to claim DHP Slide 6

7 WHERE ARE NOW (13/14) 900 affected by RSRS (bedroom tax) 100 affected by benefit cap 2 UC in Hammersmith Arrears for those customers increased by 281,000 (reduction from mid year prediction of 500,000 due mainly to DHPs) Increased NHH arrears position by 0.26% Arrears for benefit change affected 8.42% (NHH 6.47%) Visited over 90% last year Data from 50% of our LAs so more accurate data Few customers have moved Slide 7

8 TIPS FOR DEVELOPING YOUR PREPARATION STRATEGY Slide 8

9 IDENTIFY YOUR STRATEGIC AIMS Protecting income? Protecting customers? Protecting reputation e.g. with lenders Slide 9

10 INFORMATION, INFORMATION, INFORMATION about your customers about the changes about what impact that will have on your business Slide 10

11 UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS How are you structured to deliver services? Community development team to lead on Comms? Income team to lead on individual conversation and advice to customers? Slide 11

12 ENSURE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE MANAGING AND DELIVERING THE STRATEGY Get the right teams involved Get the right people (passionate and influential) involved Maintain visibility and profile of group Slide 12

13 GENERAL TIPS Director and Board support Deal in facts quantify impacts Remain focussed on priorities Resist temptation to try everything Accept this is a long-term preparation strategy outcomes might be slow Review where you are periodically take stock Refresh your group Learn from the learning Try and influence the change Slide 13

14 NOTTING HILL BENEFIT CHANGE PREPARATION STRATEGY 2014/15 Maximising income and sustaining tenancies 1. Knowing how individual customers will be affected and where to target support 2. Accessing as many sources of support for customers as possible, saving NHH resources 3. Ensuring customers are able to self-support, budget for themselves and pay their rent in the long term 4. Ensuring staff are clear about prioritising their support, understand who needs it and what appropriate action to take in each circumstance 5. Demonstrate and assure Board, regulator and lenders we are taking appropriate action to control risk around Direct payments, so we re able to develop new homes Slide 14