Optional Real Time Information update

On 23 May we wrote to all LAs to explain that Housing Delivery Division is commencing the delivery of Optional Real Time Information (RTI) referrals to LAs with the June Bulk Data Match (BDM) referrals. This is scheduled to be from 16/17 June 2016.

We would like to thank all the LAs that have responded within the very challenging timescales that were set to opt-in to receiving the files; this was required to adhere to Data Protection regulations.

This optional data, delivered in addition to the existing BDM referrals as separate files, will provide similar data to the BDM files. It is envisaged that in completing these additional referrals LAs will be able to further reduce HB fraud and error. This should also help you to achieve increased FERIS incentive payments, as well as improving your Caseload Management Information score.

More guidance will be provided prior to the launch, including an Adjudication Circular, which will provide the detail you need to administer the Optional RTI referrals.

Please note: It will not be possible to use the automation developed for RTI BDM. The Optional file has an additional field to rank the referrals in order of value that will mean that the optional files cannot be loaded. Any queries regarding Optional RTI will need to be sent to us using the contact details provided below and not to your LA IT supplier.

If you have any queries about the Optional RTI initiative in the meantime please email: lads.deliveryteam@dwp.gsi.gov.uk and a member of the team will contact you.

Funeral Payments team sharing of information

This is to provide further clarification of an article we first published in Bulletin HB G4/2016, paragraph 14, regarding Funeral Payments team sharing of information

In May 2015 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Funeral Payments team and the LA Practitioners’ Operational Group agreed a new process to obtain HB information from LAs.

The preferred method for the Funeral Payments team to obtain HB information from LAs is over the phone. The team will use the contact number provided on the individual LA website or GOV.UK to contact the relevant LA by phone when they require HB information for a customer.

Where an LA is unable to share the HB information over the phone due to requiring a written request, template SFF001 will be used. A specimen version of the template was provided at Appendix C of HB G4/2016.

The Funeral Payments team will ask the LA to provide a secure email address for the SFF001 template to be sent to. For an email address to be classed as secure it must be either: gcsx, gsx, gse, gsi.

LAs will send the completed template back to the Funeral Payments Team within 10 working days using the email address provided on the SFF001 template.

Please send any queries to katie.wells@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

HB subsidy – Initial estimate forms, mid-year estimate forms and final claim forms data

The HB expenditure and subsidy data reported by (LAs in initial and mid-year estimates and initial final and audited final claims has previously been available under Freedom of Information arrangements but DWP has decided to make this data publicly available.

As from 1 June 2016 we have begun to make this data readily available by publishing it on GOV.UK in the form of Excel spreadsheets. These spreadsheets contain all the data reported at individual LA level. The associated estimate/claim forms and guidance notes are also provided for information.

We have initially published 2013/14 data and will publish future years as and when are in a position to do so.

If you have any queries regarding the content of this article please email michael.mina@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

Subsidy and Discretionary Housing Payment final claims

In the March issue of HB Direct we reminded LAs about the deadline for submitting 2015/16 HB initial final subsidy claims and Discretionary Housing Payment final claims by 30 April 2016. This deadline was set in order to meet wider governmental accounting and HM Treasury requirements. Once again, the vast majority of LAs succeeded in submitting their claims by the deadline which enabled DWP to comply with these requirements. The Department recognises LAs’ considerable efforts and is extremely grateful to those LAs that provided these claims.

If you have any queries regarding the content of this article please email michael.mina@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

Data Transport Appliance decommissioning

Housing Delivery Division is scheduling the decommission of all DWP owned Data Transport Appliance (DTA) servers from all LA sites, now that all files are being sent through the Data Hub to LAs.

DWP is arranging the collection and disposal of DTA servers by our contracted supplier Northern Realisations. A communication was issued on Glasscubes for all LAs to arrange for their IT teams to switch off and unplug the DTA server and to ensure all data had been downloaded before disconnection. Confirmation of all contact details for LA staff has also been requested.

We envisage that the collection of all servers will commence from 14 June 2016. We have arranged for our supplier to contact the named person within LA sites to confirm a suitable time/date for collection during office hours (9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 9.00am until 4.30pm Friday). A proposed schedule will be posted on Glasscubes to allow authorities to plan for the pick-up.

Our supplier will confirm arrangements with the points of contact prior to the actual date of pick-up. The contact from our supplier to LAs is expected to start from the 6 June 2016.

If the contact details for any LA have changed since the last correspondence concerning Data Hub implementation, please advise immediately.

If you have any further queries please contact Mark Browne via lads.deliveryteam@dwp.gsi.gov.uk and a member of the team will contact you.

Updated Discretionary Housing Payments Guidance Manual

The Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Guidance Manual, including Good Practice, has been recently updated and can be found on GOV.UK

The updates, in the main, fall out of the 2015 summer budget and the passage of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 and include:

• the benefit cap changes that are due to take effect later in the year including forthcoming exemption for those getting Carers Allowance (or the Universal Credit equivalent) or Guardians Allowance

   

• additions to the non-exhaustive list of  groups who are likely to be particularly affected by the benefit cap, at which DHP Government funding is specifically aimed

   

• Women within 11 weeks of the expected week of childbirth
• Households with a child aged 9 months or under

   

• the previously announced total DHP government contribution level of £870 million over the course of this Parliament.

   

If you have any queries regarding this article please email carol.krahe@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

HDD secondment opportunities

We are looking to recruit three LA employees to work on designing and delivering the new HB certification arrangements that will be rolled out from April 2017. In case you haven’t already seen it, the advert appeared in HB G5/2016, there is still time to apply as the closing date for applications is not until Friday 17 June 2016.

Housing Benefit communications products

If you are reading this newsletter then there is a very good chance that you’ve received it directly from DWP as you are listed on one of our mass mailing distribution lists. Over the coming weeks we expect to move to a new mass mailing provider but there may be a temporary period where we will not have access to any mass mailing solution at all. If that happens we will be publishing all of our routine Housing communications directly to GOV.UK, by routine we mean

• Housing Benefit Direct Newsletter
• General and Urgent Information Bulletins
• Housing Benefit Adjudication and Subsidy circulars

   

  In order to continue to receive our Housing communications you will need to set up an email alert subscription on GOV.UK, all you need to do is  

   

• provide your email address
• set the frequency of emails (immediately, daily or weekly)
• provide a password, but this is optional

   

  You will receive details of all DWP announcements as it isn’t possible to send you Housing communication alerts only but these can be deleted if not relevant.

   

  Any other non-routine official communications will be sent to LA Chief Executives and/or Revenues and Benefits managers via Microsoft Outlook for onward cascade.

   

  We will keep updated on any developments via this newsletter and the General Information Bulletin but in the meantime if you have any further enquiries please email the LA Gateway team.