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New Dates announced for the Universal Credit Digital Service area expansion-

Currently most areas in England and Wales accept new claims for Universal Credit. However, claims are only accepted from clients who are job seekers and have relatively 'simple claims'. The main exception to this is in parts of London('the Digital Service Area'). In the Digital Service Area, any type of new claim for Universal Credit is allowed and claimants are expected to manage their claims on line. The Government has announced further details on the timetable for the rollout of the Digital Service Areas across the UK-

'The full Universal Credit service for new claims remains on track to be delivered nationally for all types of claimants from May 2016, completing in summer 2018....

Universal Credit Full Service go-live Jobcentres May to end of 2016- May 2016- Phase 1 May 2016 Bath and North East Somerset Council Bath JCP Newcastle City Council Newcastle Cathedral Square JCP Rugby Borough Council Rugby JCP Sedgemoor District Council Bridgwater JCP Waveney District Council Lowestoft JCP June 2016 Harrogate Borough Council Harrogate JCP Richmondshire District Council Richmond JCP Highland Council Inverness JCP London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Hammersmith JCP Ryedale District Council Ryedale JCP July 2016 Halton Borough Council Runcorn JCP & Widnes JCP Lancaster City Council Lancaster JCP & Morecambe JCP Mendip District Council Frome JCP Wells JCP Phase 2 October 2016 Craven District Council Skipton JCP Hambleton District Council Northallerton JCP London Borough of Lambeth Kennington Park JCP London Borough of Southwark Peckham JCP Taunton Deane Borough Council Taunton JCP West Somerset Council Minehead JCP November 2016 Allerdale Borough Council Workington JCP Copeland Borough Council Whitehaven JCP Daventry District Council Daventry JCP Harborough District Council Market Harborough JCP Highland Council Dingwall JCP & Fort William JCP & Invergordon JCP & Portree & JCP Wick JCP Melton Borough Council Melton Mowbray JCP December 2016 Hartlepool Borough Council Hartlepool JCP Hastings Borough Council Hastings JCP London Borough of Hammersmith & FulhamFulhamJCP&ShepherdsBushJCP StratfordDistrictCouncilStratford- upon-Avon JCP Swindon Borough Council Swindon JC

A client who claims under the existing benefit system and has a change of circumstance, will have to make a new claim for Universal Credit.

 

No Transitional Support for New Claimants of Universal Credit-

Some clients gain when Universal Credit comes in, for example those who are currently on Tax Credits and have child care costs. However, there are notable losers- possibly the severely disabled(with a severe disability premium), disabled carers and some disabled children. The government says it will provide transitional support to those who are migrated over from the old to the new Universal Credit system in a 'managed' fashion(from 2018-2021).

However, it is likely that many claimants we thought would achieve this protection will not be entitled if they have to submit a new claim for benefit because of a change of circumstance. This would mean they claim Universal Credit early and arepartofnaturalmigration. The government has said-

'Natural migration occurs where people have had a significant change of circumstances that would previously have triggered a new claim to benefits or tax credits. They would always have had their entitlement recalculated based on a new set of rules. That principle is maintained in Universal Credit, and therefore transitional protection is not appropriate. Universal Credit is already proving better than the system it replaces with claimants moving into work faster and earning more.'

Benefits Adviser's experience of claiming Universal Credit in the Digital Service area(from our members' area)- Click here

 

 

What does this mean for your work?

Once you get the Digital Service in your area, clients who want to submit new claims for the old legacy benefits(namely JSA(income based), Income Support(,

ESA(income related), Housing Benefit and both types of Tax Credits), will no longer be able to do so. Instead they will have to claim Universal Credit. Some clients will lose in terms of overall income. Others, especially vulnerable clients,

will need support as they find it particularly difficult to navigate the Universal Credit system designed around work seeking.
Book Now for our updated Universal Credit 2016 course and separate Universal Credit and Housing Costs 2016 course. 

 

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