How local authorities can prepare for the end of the eviction ban
Renters have been protected by a ban on evictions during the pandemic but this security is coming to an end putting many at risk of homelessness.
In this webinar Policy in Practice, together with Beam, explores how the pandemic has affected people’s pockets and what this means for people’s housing security. We look at the best practices of leading local authorities who are tackling homelessness and identify effective solutions for others to adopt.
Boost safeguarding through multi-agency data sharing
The responsibility to safeguard vulnerable residents lies with councils and a range of safeguarding partners, but too often vulnerability is identified too late.
Paul Withers, Data Protection Manager, Walsall Council and Jane Hancer, Campaigns Director, CC2i joined us to share learnings from a powerful project, MAST, that links data across adult services, children’s services, public health, the NHS, Police and Fire and Rescue Services.
How to use data to increase people’s income
Over £10 billion of benefits is unclaimed each year. In this webinar guest speakers Nick Harvey, Folkestone and Hythe and Andy Johnson, Rotherham Council joined us to share how they are analysing their administrative data to identify financial vulnerability amongst their low-income residents, and then using the insights to create proactive targeted benefit uptake campaigns.
How to predict the demand for your customer-facing services in April 2021
We look at which households were vulnerable before and after the pandemic, and Luton Council shares how data insights are helping them recover from COVID-19.
How councils can recover from COVID-19
We look at which households were vulnerable before and after the pandemic, and Luton Council shares how data insights are helping them recover from COVID-19.
Coronavirus and tackling vulnerability
As new measures to control Coronavirus (COVID-19) are introduced we were joined on this webinar by RedQuadrant to talk about how frontline organisations can identify and support people through this crisis.
The most underclaimed benefits and how to drive take up
In this webinar we showcased innovative work Folkestone and Hythe Council is doing to encourage take-up of pension credit and other underclaimed benefits. We showed how the LIFT Dashboard is used to identify people who may be eligible for extra cash but aren’t claiming, and how the Benefit and Budgeting Calculator has the eligibility for little known benefits built in.
Designing effective data-led local authorities
Mark Fowler, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, shares how the LIFT Dashboard has helped them build a data led approach to deliver the highest quality, people-centred services for their residents.
Designing effective data-led intervention campaigns
Margaret Gallagher, Linda Morris and Emilio Innocenti from Haringey Council tell us how they use data analysis and their LIFT Dashboard to run targeted intervention campaigns to encourage take-up of backdated Pension Credit claims.
How to target your Discretionary Housing Payments well
Ellie Kershaw from Tower Hamlets Council explores the challenges the borough has in spending Discretionary Housing Payments funding well. We hear how consistency with local priorities, speed of decision making and understanding effectiveness are key, and how Policy in Practice’s software is helping.
How Croydon Council is using data to deliver better outcomes
Julia Pitt, Director of Gateway and Welfare at Croydon Council, joined us to discuss how Croydon’s early intervention and prevention approach to helping families affected by welfare reforms and how the LIFT dashboard has supported the work of their award-winning Gateway programme.
Using data analytics to understand child vulnerability
Haroon Chowdry, Head of Analysis, Children’s Commissioner’s Office, joined us to discuss the crucial information that benefits data can give about family context, and how this can help with early identification of vulnerability. We shared findings from analysis we did for the CCO on the impact that welfare reforms will have on levels of child vulnerability.
Data analytics: Who’s missing out on benefits in your area?
Listen back to this webinar to hear guest speaker Corin Hammersley, Royal Borough of Greenwich, explain how they identified £20 million of unclaimed benefits for residents using a Policy in Practice LIFT Dashboard.
Use your data effectively to identify and prevent vulnerability
Following our summer Leading Lights Network event at the House of Lords with Lord Bird, founder of the Big Issue, we continue the conversation about how to prevent households from falling in to crisis. Listen back to hear frontline stories of creative uses of public data that tackle vulnerability early, and in a proven sustainable way. With Chris Parker, Newcastle City Council.
Proactively tackle homelessness
Hear about our work to proactively tackle homelessness using local predictors, developed with household data. With Claire Horton, Newcastle City Council.
Track the living standards of low income households
Listen back to hear how we track living standards and visualise drivers of poverty with our LIFT dashboard. With Chris Buckman, Exeter City Council.
What we all need to know about implementing Breathing Space
Breathing space came into force on 4 May 2021 to give people in problem debt a sixty day period to get back on their feet.
In this webinar we explore what breathing space means for councils and other creditors, how they can best support people to build their financial resilience, and what can be done to prevent the need for breathing space in the first place.
Back to work: Making the most of the Restart Scheme
All frontline organisations need the best tools to help advisors have motivational conversations with customers, show them how to navigate an overly complex benefit system and demonstrate how they will be better off in work. For Restart Scheme providers this is a requirement.
How to find the right debt solution for everyone
In today’s economic climate falling into debt is perilously easy, getting out is hard. Firms in the debt sector have adopted flexible and ethical collection practices to support families who are struggling, yet costs and the time taken to collect have increased.
Whether you’re a collection agency, utility company, advice organisation, local authority or housing association, you’re on the frontline for helping people in debt.
You can boost the financial resilience of households by helping them to increase their income. In this way, you can increase collection rates and social impact, in the knowledge that you’re doing the right thing.
Join this webinar to hear:
- How COVID-19 has already hit people’s incomes, and what’s in store
- Who the newly vulnerable households are
- How to reduce existing arrears and the chance of a customer falling into arrears
- How to minimise the cost of debt collection
How to simplify the complexity of surplus earnings
Many self-employed people will receive a grant through the new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) this month. These payments can be up to £7,500 and will be counted as earnings under Universal Credit. As a result, lots of self-employed households will be affected by the complex ‘surplus earnings’ rules for the first time.
In this webinar Zoe Charlesworth gave a simple guide to the SEISS, Universal Credit and surplus earnings rules while Duncan Hatfiled, Policy and Operations Analyst, gave worked examples illustrating the challenge, and what to look out for. We were also joined by Sue McCarron who shared how frontline staff from Citizens Advice Wirral use the Benefit and Budgeting Calculator to support customers facing fluctuating income and, finally, Peter Carter gave a brief demo of the Benefit and Budgeting Calculator to those who stayed.
Coronavirus: Stories from the frontline
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has made life tough for people who are scared for their health and their finances. It’s also brought huge pressure to frontline organisations who are there to help. In this webinar we are joined by Ellie Kershaw, Tower Hamlets and Grant Bailey, Cheltenham Borough Homes to discuss how they are dealing with the current changes, and how the crisis now will affect their residents in the future. We explore how services may need to change and how organisations can be proactive now to safeguard their residents’ wellbeing.
May 2020: Recap of the major benefits changes and Coronavirus
As new measures to control Coronavirus (COVID-19) are introduced Policy in Practice’s Head of Policy, Zoe Charlesworth, gave a recap of the major changes to the welfare system and explored their impacts in this webinar. Guest speaker Victoria Todd, Head of LITRG, LITRG, talked about recent developments and focused on tax credit issues. Megan Mclean shared some of the common questions we’ve received on our Coronavirus support page from people who are worried about their income and, finally, Peter Carter briefly walks through software tools that help our clients to give the best advice possible to their customers.
April 2020: Recap of the major benefits changes and Coronavirus
As new measures to control Coronavirus (COVID-19) are introduced Policy in Practice’s Head of Policy, Zoe Charlesworth, gives a comprehensive recap of the major changes to the welfare system in this webinar. In addition, Louise Murphy shares some of the common questions we’ve received on our Coronavirus support page from people who are worried about their income. She explains the answers we’ve given, highlighting the complexity of what has become a dual welfare system. Finally, Peter Carter briefly walks through software tools that help our clients to give the best advice possible to their customers.
How Curo triages support to help customers onto Universal Credit
Hear guest speaker Emma Owens, Curo, discussing their triage approach to helping their most at-risk customers first. This outward facing strategy means they spend 80% of their time with 20% of their customers. Emma talks about how they use Policy in Practice’s Benefit and Budgeting Calculator to help manage this process and effectively maximise staff time.
How frontline organisations can prepare for Universal Credit managed migration
Hear guest speakers Michelle Birley and Nadine Burns, The Guinness Group, discussing the Universal Credit managed migration pilot and how Guinness is preparing.
How Citizens Advice is helping Universal Credit claimants
Hear guest speakers Kayley Hignell, Citizens Advice, and Nicky Rees, Citizens Advice Peterborough, in conversation with Deven Ghelani, Policy in Practice. As Universal Credit receives a refresh we asked what the recent changes mean for people affected, and how Citizens Advice is responding.
Budgeting support: Best practice ways to help low income households
Hear guest speaker Marie Hardeman, The Guinness Group, in conversation with Donna Gallagher and Peter Carter. As personal debt hits new highs we talk about the budgeting support they offer to their tenants nationwide.
Universal Credit: how are frontline advisors responding?
Hear guest speaker Darren Thomas, Senior Welfare Advisor, Grwp Cynefin, in conversation with Zoe Charlesworth and Peter Carter, Policy in Practice. As Universal Credit rollout progresses from the live service to full service they discuss what the changes mean and how frontline advisors at Grwp Cynefin are faring. Zoe also outlines our Budget 2018 analysis of the changes to Universal Credit.
Understand the impact of Universal Credit on rent collection
Hear guest speaker Bill Irvine, UC Advice & Advocacy, in conversation with Deven Ghelani and Zoe Charlesworth. They discuss how tenants are being hit as Universal Credit rolls out, what the latest policy updates mean for landlords and what practical steps housing associations can take to help tenants and protect rental income.
Practical ways to help vulnerable households deal with debt
Hear about our award winning work with Phoenix to help vulnerable people deal with debt early whilst improving collection processes and reducing costs. With Carole Kenney, Phoenix, and Nick Rowe, London Borough of Ealing.
Support disabled job seekers on their journey into work
Learn how frontline advisors are helping disabled job seekers understand benefit changes as Universal Credit rolls out nationwide. With Marise Mackie, Pluss.
Help people on their financial journey to Universal Credit
Listen back to hear guest speakers from Solihull Community Housing and Your Homes Newcastle talk about how they use our Benefit and Budgeting Calculator.
Why we all need flexible collection policies for council tax debt
The handling of council tax arrears and the extra costs that can be incurred in the collection process can cause extreme poverty or destitution, and may increase levels of problem debt. Policy in Practice has reviewed different collection processes across London for the Greater London Authority and evaluated their impact on citizens and councils. Listen back to this webinar to hear the findings and recommendations, and what the GLA will do now.
Is your post COVID-19 Council Tax Support Scheme sustainable?
Listen back as Zoe Charlesworth presents new nationwide analysis on the Hardship Fund allocations and discusses what this means for collection rates. Megan Mclean will talk about what this means for those who become newly unemployed, and what this means for CTR support schemes. Finally, Deven Ghelani will look at what councils can do now to proactively support people.
Lessons learned: our year modelling Council Tax Reduction Schemes
Listen back as Zoe Charlesworth and Megan Mclean as they review the 150 or so council tax reduction (CTR) support schemes we modelled for local authority clients in 2019. This recap includes highlights from our analysis, a discussion of trends we’ve identified and consider what this means for local organisations in 2020.
Council tax support models that Members can sign up to
In response to shrinking budgets 90% of English councils made changes to their CTRS schemes last year, almost all of them cuts. But, as Universal Credit rolls out, how should councils change their schemes, in order to protect their most vulnerable residents?
Policy in Practice’s Zoe Charlesworth and Megan Mclean talked to Allan Clark, Barnet Council to learn how they’re changing their council tax support scheme for Universal Credit and how Policy in Practice’s Council Tax Support Scheme modelling helped.
Changing your Council Tax support scheme: what are others doing?
Listen back to hear guest speaker Clive Jones, Luton Borough Council, talking about why modelling the impacts of different options is the key to designing new CTRS schemes and the importance of member involvement. Zoe Charlesworth gives Universal Credit analysis updates and Juan Alvarez Vilanova outlines the 4 different approaches to modelling that we take.
Understand how Universal Credit affects Council Tax Reduction Schemes
Universal Credit means the default council tax reduction scheme is no longer the best option. Find out how support schemes need to change. With Jenny Hoare, Wolverhampton City Council.
Future proof your Council Tax Reduction Scheme for Universal Credit
Listen back to hear Paul Howarth, Welfare Reform Club and Ian Jones, LB Hackney talk about Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Universal Credit.
Policy review of 2020 and forward look to 2021
This year brought fundamental changes to our lives. Hear our policy review of 2020 and our thoughts on a forward look to 2021. In this webinar Deven Ghelani, Zoe Charlesworth, Paul Howarth and Duncan Hatfield looked back at the policy response to the seismic shifts in our economy and society wrought by the pandemic. We revisited research findings we uncovered from our analysis for clients across both local and central government. And, as the focus turns to the health of our economy, we look at what 2021 means for people facing redundancy, debt or lower incomes.
Help people transition onto Universal Credit
Listen back to our webinar with Aster Housing Group and Croydon Council on how they’re helping people transition onto Universal Credit.
How to influence central government
Listen back to our webinar to hear how to influence central government policy development and get your frontline experiences heard. With Paul Howarth and Jake Love Soper.