IRRV Alert - week ending 29th July 2011
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UNISON and Welfare Reform
Last Updated: 14 July 2011
'Make clear your plans for housing benefit staff'
(14/07/11) "We are pushing the government to make clear their plans for housing benefit staff", said Sampson Low, UNISON policy officer, as the union contacted peers with an urgent briefing ahead of the second reading of the Welfare Reform Bill in the Lords on 19 July.
UNISON has concerns about how housing benefit services will be incorporated into the delivery of the new universal credit.
The Welfare Reform Bill is currently in Parliament and aims to bring six existing benefits into one new credit, phased in between 2013 and 2017.
Whilst working closely with the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) to deliver the best and most efficient service, UNISON is calling for a face-to-face housing benefit service to be retained and for local authorities to keep responsibility for the housing cost part of the universal credit.
"Housing benefit staff are efficient local housing experts who provide one-to-one help to claimants and verify original documents such as tenancy agreements," said Mr Low.
"This could be lost in the new universal credit. It seems it will be delivered by DWP and HMRC in a similar way to tax credits using telephone and online delivery. We cannot afford to lose that expertise."
UNISON in local government
