Case study: A tale of debt prevention in two cities
Policy in Practice carried out analysis using the Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) platform. By identifying, analysing and tracking changes in household income and arrears on a monthly basis, councils improved customer engagement, targeted support proactively, and were able to see each customer’s journey on a single screen.
LIFT tracked households in Barking and Dagenham and Newcastle. Both councils took different approaches to support their individual cohorts. LIFT compared these households to a control group to show whether arrears fell more than similar households, and to prove the effectiveness of the intervention.
Average arrears per household in Newcastle fell by 65%, in Barking and Dagenham by 29%
Average arrears per household in Newcastle fell by £160, in Barking and Dagenham by £1,081