Welfare Provision Information

Manchester City Council have now sent out information on the Welfare Provision Scheme going forward, which looks like this:

The information below outlines the 2015 /16 Welfare Provision scheme; please note that the website and online form will be updated by 01 April 2015.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to e-mail welfare.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk

Link to website
For help with essential items of furniture:
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200008/benefits_and_support/6301/get_essential_items_of_furniture

For support to borrrow money safely:
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/10050/helping_hands_debt_bills_and_borrowing/6393/borrow_money_safely

For fuel grants:
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500017/energy_efficiency/6388/help_with_energy_bills

Internet access points across Manchester:
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/directory/35/ict_access_centres

Please also note; that cookies need to be accepted on the website. If the cookies message disappears please refresh the page (F5).

Applicant Gateway Eligibility
(i) Lives within the Manchester area
(ii) Resident has claimed and likely to be entitled to, or is in receipt of:
        • Income Support,
        • Jobseeker’s Allowance,
        • Employment Support        Allowance; or
        • Guaranteed Pension Credit
(iii) Is aged 16 or over at the time of application.

Supporting Principles
(a)        Residents being re-housed/resettled into new accommodation due to fear of violence, significant health/care needs, following a disaster or emergency, or as part of a supported resettlement programme; or
(b)        Residents requiring support to stay within their home and maintain independent living, with significant and enduring medical/care/support needs; or
(c)        Residents requiring immediate financial assistance following a crisis or an emergency.
(d)        Residents that are in a specific vulnerable group and are in extreme fuel poverty in that they are unable to afford immediate heating costs during the winter months or have been disconnected.
(e)        Residents moving into work (following a period of unemployment) but who remain on a low income with the provision of a grant or loan to assist with public transport costs for the first month of employment. The intention is to sustain employment by ensuring that travel costs are met during the transition period from welfare benefits to salary.

Service Offer
Here are a list of goods applicants could be eligible for:

• Beds and mattresses (single, double, bunk, cot, orthopaedic, waterproof)
• Bedding including pillows and towels (single, double, cot, waterproof)
• Electric cooker or microwave (for single persons)
• Fridge (for single persons)
• Fridge freezer
• Kitchen starter pack
• Washing machine
• Gas/Electric voucher
• Cash Grant
• Travel Grant

Saving Progress
We encourage all applicants to save their application during the process of completing it. This document outlines how to do this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPRWczMFR2Qi0wajQ/view?usp=sharing

Common errors
Please ensure you accept cookies from the website.

Some fields on the application form need to be submitted in a particular format, please find a brief note on the required formats here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPeHZCMUlZXzhxZzg/view?usp=sharing

If you have any issues whilst inputting information into the application form, please email welfare.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk and an assessor will contact you as soon as possible.

Supported Applications
We encourage all support workers to complete the 3rd party declaration at the end of the form and supply a telephone number. This will help us validate applicant circumstances and coordinate support.

Submission errors
If any errors occur during submission of the form, please email welfare.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk (this email box is constantly monitored) with details of the claim e.g. LWA ref, NINO, DOB or name. We can then run an integrity report and recover the application form and either submit ourselves or phone the customer to complete any missing details.

Process
Cash Grant:

• Application received in back office, checks undertaken and decision made on Welfare Provision application.
• Applicant informed of decision by phone and letter.
• A voucher is either sent:

1. to the applicants email address for then to print off
2. to a support worker's email e.g. registered provider, CAB
3. Selects a council pickup point e.g. Customer Service Centre

• If applicant is picking up from a Council pickup point, they will need to bring ID with them e.g. letter with a name and address
• The applicant will need to take the printed voucher to a paypoint access point (most newsagents or post offices) and must bring proof of name and address e.g. a bill that matches the details on the voucher
• The voucher will be redeemed for cash.

Gas/Electric Voucher:

• Application received in back office, checks undertaken and decision made on Welfare Provision application.
• Applicant informed of decision by phone and letter.
• A voucher is either sent:

1. to the applicants email address for then to print off
2. to a support worker's email e.g. registered provider, CAB
3. Selects a council pickup point e.g. Customer Service Centre

• If applicant is picking up from a Council pickup point, they will need to bring ID with them e.g. letter with a name and address
• The applicant will need to take the printed voucher to a paypoint access point (most newsagents or post offices) and must bring proof of name and address e.g. a bill that matches the details on the voucher, along with their energy prepayment card/key
• The voucher will be charged to the energy prepayment card/key

Furniture Grant:

• Application received in back office, checks undertaken and decision made on Welfare Provision application.
• Applicant informed of decision by phone and letter.
• Each weekday morning a file containing the previous working day's approved applications are created and raised on our purchasing system.
• Raised purchases are received by our supplier The Furnishing Service (any delivery issues need to be raised with The Furnishing Service 0161 4427563).
• The Furnishing Service text the successful applicant with the delivery date of the furniture, the text contains The Furnishing Service's number in case of any delivery problems.

Travel Voucher:

• Application received in back office, checks undertaken and decision made on Welfare Provision application.
• Applicant informed of decision by phone and letter.
• A voucher is either sent:

1. to the applicants email address for then to print off
2. to a support worker's email e.g. registered provider, CAB
3. Selects a council pickup point e.g. Customer Service Centre

• If applicant is picking up from a Council pickup point, they will need to bring ID with them e.g. letter with a name and address
• The applicant will need to take the printed voucher to a paypoint access point (most newsagents or post offices) and must bring proof of name and address e.g. a bill that matches the details on the voucher
• They will receive a cash grant award

SLA Agreements
Below are the Service Level Agreements for furniture/white good grants and loans. Please note that currently 75% of decisions are being communicated to applicants on the day of application:

• Cash grants following a crisis or emergency - We will contact you within five working days of receiving all the information we need.
• All furniture/white good grants - We will contact you within ten days of receiving all the information we need.
• Fuel Vouchers - We will contact you within two working days of receiving all the information we need
• Travel grants - We will contact you within five working days of receiving all the information we need.

If any application decision time exceeds the SLA above please email welfare.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Requests for information/Decision reconsideration
Any requests for further information or a reconsideration of an application decision need to be emailed to welfare.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk.
Reconsiderations need  to be submitted within 28 days of the application decision, and responses will be received within ten working days.

New Job Vacancy

Do you fancy a new challenge, or know someone looking for change? Manchester CAB have a post available for a Pension Guidance Guarantee Agent, full time until March 2016.

The successful candidate will provide high-quality, accurate, face-to-face pensions choices information and guidance to members of the public, and help them to understand the implications of their choices.

The full job advert can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPdkhoWXBkVDhQeDA/view?usp=sharing

The closing date for applications is 5pm on 10th April 2015; interviews to take place the following week.

Digital Access and Support

At the Forum, it became apparent that some people weren't aware of the support we offer around the city....so here it is! Manchester Advice Alliance has Digital Access Points in 3 areas of Manchester; these are sessions where people can go to get online with the support of trained volunteers for things such as online benefit claims, Welfare Provision claims, Manchester Move, setting up email addresses, job searching, and any other online function you can think of. While our volunteers are not trained to give advice, they can offer support and guidance which can be extremely useful for people who haven't used computers before. The sessions run at:

Wythenshawe
YPSF Signpost  - Tues / Thurs - 1.30-4.30
Wythenshawe Forum Library - Tues 1.30-4.30 / Thurs 10am-1pm

Gorton
The Oasis Centre - Mon / Tues / Wed - 10am-2pm
Rainbow Haven - Tues / Thurs - 10am-3pm

Cheetham Hill
Wai Yin Welcome Centre - Tues / Thurs / Fri - 10am-12noon


If you'd like to be able to offer sessions like these to your clients, we are now offering our training for free to Alliance member organisations; for more details, email Rosi

March Forum Marvellousness

Thanks SO much to everyone who attended the Forum on March 17th - it's the busiest we've been, and it was fantastic to have such a wide range of organisations represented, getting their opportunity to share information and ideas.

We've got the notes written up, and you can read them by clicking here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPdFVkYkhIWlZWUWs/view?usp=sharing

Don't forget to get the next Forum date in your diary - 5th May, 1.30 - 5pm at Friends Meeting House on Mount Street, including another tasty lunch! Also, if you know of any organisations that you'd like to see at the meetings (either as speakers or as attendees) just get in touch and let us know so we can try and get them involved.

Spotlight on Stroke Association

The Stroke Association have sent us through a booklet of the various support services they offer around Manchester, including support groups and Stroke Cafes. You can find the directory here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPR01UbmV4bld1blk/view?usp=sharing and may prove to be a useful resource for some of your clients.

If you're regular attendees of the forum meetings, you'll probably have met the team, but if you want to learn more about the organisation, click here for contact details, as well as an opportunity to look at the Stroke Association's services at a national level.

And, coming up, it's Action on Stroke Month in May - to learn more, click here

And don't forget, if you'd like an opportunity to have your organisation featured on the blog site, either a service overview or a specific event, just send us some info through!

Your Weekly News Round-Up

We are once again back with some more news articles! Some interesting facts and figures which may surprise you, so have a read!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1kGQrsDFP8IMVp5Z1lrR2MxNlk/view?usp=sharing

FREE Conference on LGBT Advice Needs

Do you work with people who are LGBT? North Liverpool CAB are holding a FREE one day conference looking at how advice providers and other agencies can best support their needs.

The conference is next Tuesday, 31st March and runs from 9.30 - 4pm at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool. You'll get the chance to listen to presentations, take part in workshops and ask questions of a number of key figures. A full programme can be found here. The conference aims to share some of the learning from the OUTreach Liverpool project as well as the views, experience and knowledge of conference delegates. The main aim is to produce a list of recommendations and/or actions that might help advice providers, LGBT groups & services and other agencies better meet the advice needs of their LGBT clients.

If you'd like to attend, please do so via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LGBTbooking
And if you have any further questions, contact Joe Lavelle on 0151 207 6974 ext. 308

Your Weekly News Round-Up

Check out this weeks newsletter! Packed with some latest news!

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Dealing with the System Training

If you weren't at the Forum (And why weren't you? It was fab! Notes to follow...) you need to know that the Dealing with the System training that we advertised a few months back is being run again.

The training is aimed at clients who are dealing with benefits or housing issues for the first time and need some support to increase their confidence in managing these situations. There are two sessions being run; one on benefits on the 13th April, and one on housing on the 16th April. Both are afternoon sessions running from 1-4pm.

For more information, and for details of who to contact, see below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPc3hCdFdTejdZQTQ/view?usp=sharing

Budget for Benefits

For those of you who don't receive updates from Social Welfare Training, they've just released a handy document which outlines how the new Budget, announced yesterday by George Osbourne, will affect the benefits system. This can be found below....enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1aWoCJw0ptPRkQyVWZ0MDhhUXc/view?usp=sharing

Your Weekly News Round-Up

Have a read of our latest newsletter!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1kGQrsDFP8ITGYxUUxRbnZ4Vkk/view?usp=sharing

Real Life Reform Update

We're incredibly ashamed to say we missed the quarterly update on this in October, but the latest (and final) Real Life Reform report has just been released, and can be found here: http://www.lyha.co.uk/documents/Real_Life_Reform_Report_No6_March_2015.pdf

If you've missed this report up to now, they're quarterly updates on research being done to measure the impact of Welfare Reform on 100 families across the north of England. This is the sixth report, and a summary of the study and research will be produced in June 2015.

We'd recommend taking a look, as they're always interesting (if, unsurprisingly, a little bleak!) but if you want a quick summary, the headlines are:

Debt

• Average household debt is £3,554, which is £1,266 higher than at the start of the study
• One in two households are unable to regularly meet their weekly debt repayments
• Weekly debt repayments average £34.56, 89% higher than at the start of the study and 40% higher than in report 5

Employment

• 23.5% of households are employed, the lowest level in the study, and of these fewer than one in five are in full-time work
• 69% of part-time employed households are looking for more hours

Money left after bills

• Average money left after bills is £17.72 per week or £2.53 each day
• 4 in 10 households have no money left each week
• More than six in ten households have less than £10 per week left after bills

Food and shopping

• One in five have used a food bank
• £3.63 per person per day is the average spend on food
• 3 in every 10 spend less than £2.86 per day on food

Fuel

• 53.8% of households say they aren’t heating their homes to the levels they need

Cheetham Hill Advice Centre Job Opportunity

Cheetham Hill Advice Centre have a new role open for a part-time United Utilities Money Advice & Welfare Benefits worker. The role will be 17.5 hours/week, and is initially a 6-month contract with the possibility of an 18-month extension depending on funding.

For more details on the role, send an SAE to Jeremy Engineer, Cheetham Hill Advice Centre, 1 Morrowfield Avenue, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M8 9AR or click here to email Jeremy directly.

The closing date for applications is 1pm, Tuesday 7th April

Your Weekly News Round-Up

Latest newsletter available to read now, just click on the link below..

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