New research published today by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) explores benefit claimants’ knowledge and understanding concerning changes in circumstances and obligations to report them. This report presents findings from a qualitative research project to explore benefit claimants’ knowledge, standard housing benefit cases, and understanding concerning changes in circumstances and obligations to report them.
The main summary findings are:
Claimants’ Knowledge and Understanding of Reporting Changes in Circumstances
Claimants did have an understanding that they were required to report changes of circumstances. However there was a wide variation in the range of knowledge. People differed according to the scope of changes they considered important to report, e.g. work, income, and household circumstances, in addition to the detail of those changes, e.g. amount of hours permitted, earnings and length of stays.
Some people felt that official sources of knowledge on reporting changes of circumstances were not frequent or detailed enough and that they were not presented in plain English.
People found it confusing when they moved from one local authority to another because they were not aware of different procedures and administrative processes across local authorities and other benefit organisations.
Reporting Changes in Circumstances: Influences On Behaviour
Perceptions of the financial consequences of reporting a change could lead to not reporting. Previous negative experiences of benefit administration, the apparently contradictory procedures and administrative processes and timelines of different benefit authorities could also be seen to influence behaviour and attitudes towards benefit authorities.
Experiences and Consequences of Reporting Changes in Circumstances
A range of methods were used by claimants for reporting changes. Some used methods they favoured most whilst others used those that they perceived had the best chances of getting information across to the local authority. Some people had barriers to using some methods usually cost related. It was noticeable that people valued a good rapport with local authority staff, especially where they were perceived to ‘know’ the claimants circumstances.
Conclusions and Policy Implications
The Getting Welfare Right strategy suggests that claimant error might be managed by prevention, claimant compliance and correction. The research findings are most relevant to the second strand of this strategy, i.e. maintenance of an accurate claim through claimant compliance.
Before claimants can maintain an accurate claim, they must first be aware of their full obligations. This report and other research suggest this is currently not the case and there is a need to increase both the scope and the detail of people’s knowledge of changes they should report for benefit purposes.
Factors which might influence whether claimants reported changes in their circumstances were looked at and it was found that previous negative experiences, a lack of trust in benefit administration in addition to procedures and (perceived) consequences of reporting a change might also influence reporting decisions. There is therefore scope for enhancing claimant experience of the benefit system because claimant experience of reporting change of circumstance is not divorced from experience of the wider benefit system.
DWP Press Office: 020 3267 5144
Out of Hours: 07659 108 883
Website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep523.pdf
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