Our tools help local authorities tackle the drivers of poverty and
The pandemic has impacted millions of people, including those who have no experience of the benefits system.
One in three households have lost income because of Covid-19, and nearly half of people with children have lost household income. Over 7 million UK adults are behind on their household bills.
This drop in the nation’s financial resilience means that local authorities are faced with higher demand for support.
Policy in Practice can help local authorities get the clarity needed to better support residents, and improve social outcomes. Through income maximisation and improved debt management, local authorities can create financial stability within their residents and their council.
By using data intelligently to identify and support people who are most vulnerable, local authorities can manage demand more effectively. Targeting support early helps to build a pathway to independence.
LIFT helps you to identify vulnerability, target support and track change using data analysis
CTR modelling helps you to design the best possible scheme to support your low-income residents
LIFT platform
Administrative datasets can yield powerful insights that give a fuller picture, and help drive change. LIFT allows local authorities to combine their datasets with our policy engine to make better decisions.
You can see how individual households are impacted by policy changes, now and in the future. Use the information to identify the most vulnerable families, target support to them, and track the change.
Our local authority clients use LIFT to:
- Tackle problem debt and arrears
- Maximise the income of households
- Evidence return on investment in support
- Identify and support families at risk of eviction
- Avoid unnecessary cost by preventing hardship
- Limit and mitigate the local impact of COVID-19
- Understand current and future demand for services
Data analytics using the LIFT platform allows Haringey Council to identify vulnerable residents, target relevant support and track changes in living standards. The corporate board identified that people, culture and processes can be a barrier to the wider use of data.
LIFT helped Haringey Council to improve the financial resilience of carers. It also helped the council by tackling both the data challenge, and the people, processes and culture challenge that Haringey and many other councils face. The financial return was over £560,000 to residents and over £162,000 to the council.
Each household helped by the campaign was better off by almost £37,000 in total, or £7,534 per year for five years.
Council Tax Reduction Scheme Modelling
It’s difficult to be sure you have the fairest and most effective Council Tax support scheme, especially when caseloads change dramatically.
We help councils model different schemes based on many complex and combined local factors. Using data-led analytics we clearly show how different groups of residents will be affected by scheme changes, in advance.
Our local authority clients use our Council Tax support scheme modelling to:
- See how changes affect costs, arrears and collection
- Compare caseload costs with other local authorities
- Get detailed insights for Members and consultation
- Understand the impact on vulnerable groups
- Understand the impact of Universal Credit
- Model scheme costs into the future
- Give stakeholders confidence
Allan Clark, Revenues and Benefits Manager, discusses how Barnet Council have adapted their Council Tax Reduction Scheme for Universal Credit using Policy in Practice’s data modelling.
Better Off Calculator
Our award-winning Better Off Calculator is the best tool to help you grow the financial strength of your residents.
The calculator helps you build the financial strength of your residents without needing to be a welfare expert. The tool helps you securely and confidentially assess your resident’s unique situation to pinpoint benefits they may be eligible for, to give them the widest possible range of support. It uses your resident’s information to calculate their future income to help them plan from month to month, so they can take control of their money and become financially stronger.
Whether you offer a self serve calculator on your website or liaise directly with your clients by phone and email, you can be confident that you are giving the most accurate and up to date guidance, as efficiently as possible.
Our local authority clients use the Better Off Calculator to:
- Accurately maximise income
- Compare different scenarios
- Create a positive action plan
- Explain complex changes simply
- Identify ways to improve budgeting
- Give consistent and up-to-date guidance
- Save, store and access cases efficiently
Andy Johnson, Employment Solutions Officer at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council discusses how Rotherham’s Employment Solutions Team are using data to increase people’s income.
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