benefits – Page 4 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Britain’s ‘new approach’ to Welfare

UK Government Work Scheme delivers almost 100,000 placements

Almost 100,000 workplace training places have been delivered in the past year for jobseekers, smashing the Government’s 80,000 annual target, new data has revealed.

Record number of workplace training places have been delivered this year helping boost jobseeker skills and the economy
Significant milestone hit as Prime Minister sets out welfare reforms to jumpstart UK labour market
DWP working directly with businesses to hire work-ready Brits and reduce dependence on foreign labour
Comes in week that NICs cuts worth £900 hit pay packets ensuring work pays

Part of the Westminster Government’s plan to help people back to work and grow the economy, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) help benefit claimants move off welfare and into work by providing tailored training and work experience before a guaranteed job interview.

Businesses who are actively hiring help craft these six-weeks on-the-job programmes, so that participants gain the right experience and skills for their roles.

The latest figures published this week show that in the last year 98,710 places were delivered – the highest annual figure yet. It brings the total number of SWAP starts to 283,930 – in sectors ranging from coding to hospitality, construction, health and social care.

It comes in the week that the Government’s NICs cuts worth £900 to the average worker hits pay packets as part of the plan to cut taxes, grow the economy and build a brighter future for hard-working families.

Backed by industry giants such as UKHospitality, the British Chamber of Commerce and Business in the Community, alongside household brands like Amazon, JD Sports and Lidl, jobseekers leave SWAPs work ready as they apply for live job roles.

The milestone follows the UK Government’s ‘bold new vision’ for welfare, with the Prime Minister outlining reforms to tackle inactivity as we give more Brits the skills and support to get back into work as we bring down migration levels.

Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, Mel Stride MP said: “Our Jobcentres are a proven route to changing lives through work and the learning and upskilling opportunities they provide are second to none.

“As part of our plan to build our new welfare settlement for Britain and grow the economy, this major milestone helps people get on with the skills they need to secure a great job, a higher wage, and a brighter future for their family.

After the Prime Minister announced the accelerated rollout of Universal Credit last week, together with increases to the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET), even more claimants will benefit from the dedicated employment support offered through our Jobcentres.

This includes all the programmes under the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) £2.5bn Back to Work Plan, which is set to help over a million people, including those with long-term health conditions to break down barriers to work.

Keith, 47, from St Austell was looking to change careers after he finished a previous role. He said: “I was very interested in getting into Mental Health Care, but I had no qualifications or experience in the area. My Work Coach Tom was really supportive and told me how I could get experience in the sector through a SWAP with the NHS.

“The SWAP opened my eyes to the type of roles available within the NHS and gave me the confidence I needed to kickstart my new career. I’m now working as a Developmental Mental Health Assistant and cannot believe I’ve reached my dream of working in Mental Health so quickly with the help of SWAPs.”

Whether it’s someone’s first job or a career change, jobseekers of any age and experience can access invaluable work experience through SWAPs for a role actively being recruited for.

Andrew Bush, CPO of Greene King, said: “We were really pleased to be part of the sector-based work academy in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and other hospitality employers.

“Through collaboration, we were able to create a programme that gave candidates a greater insight into our exciting industry, providing opportunities for many to achieve a fulfilling career in hospitality.”

The UK Government is taking the long-term decisions to ensure the resilience of the UK’s labour market, building a strong economy where hard work is rewarded and where everyone has a brighter future.

Alexandra Hall-Chen, Principal Advisor for Employment and Skills with the Institute of Directors said: “At a time when many businesses are struggling to recruit the skills they need, SWAPs provide a valuable means by which employers can tap into a wider pool of candidates.

“By providing jobseekers with support and training targeted at key sectors, SWAPs are a key tool in tackling both skills shortages and barriers to employment.”

£30 million paid this year to help households with higher energy bills

Number of winter payments passes 400,000 mark 

 People in Scotland have received more than £30 million via two Scottish Government benefits to help them deal with increased energy costs this winter, new statistics have shown.  

Winter Heating Payment supports households on low incomes, including older people, disabled people and families with children under five.   

Child Winter Heating Payment helps families of the most severely disabled children and young people.    

The official figures show more than 400,000 Winter Heating Payments of £55.05 were issued between November last year and the end of March. More than 30,000 Child Winter Heating Payments of £235.70 were made in the same spell.   

Winter Heating Payment replaced the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment in 2023. Most people getting it receive more money on average than via Cold Weather Payment.

People receive Winter Heating Payment whatever the weather, unlike Cold Weather Payment when the temperature needs to drop to a specific level. 

Child Winter Payment, introduced in 2020, is not available anywhere else in the UK. There is also no cap on the number of children who can get it in the same family. 

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said:   “The £30.2 million paid over the course of winter provides support to those who need it most. It is being paid quickly and effectively to help mitigate the worst of the cost of living crisis. 

“Winter Heating Payment guarantees those who qualify will get a payment every year – in contrast to the UK Government approach which needs the weather to be under a certain temperature for a sustained spell.   

“Both Winter Heating Payment and Child Winter Heating Payment have recently been increased in line with inflation which means we will be getting more money into people’s pockets in 2024/25. I am pleased that we are getting the vast majority of these payments to people in good time.  

“I urge anyone who is struggling during the cost-of-living crisis to visit the Scottish Government’s Cost of Living website for support and advice.”   

Sunak vows to tackle Britain’s ‘sick note culture’

TORIES TO OVERHAUL BENEFITS SYSTEM

THE Prime Minister has unveiled a package of welfare reform measures to tackle the unprecedented rise in economic inactivity and ensure the benefits system is ‘better targeted at those who need it most’.

PM to announce plans to overhaul benefits system to ensure people who are fit to work aren’t left behind on benefits
Fit note system to be reviewed after 11 million fit notes issued last year with 94% written off as unfit to work
Comes amid unprecedented rise in inactivity due to long term sickness with latest figures showing almost a third of working age adults are inactive

The Prime Minister’s new plan for welfare will end Britain’s “sick note culture”, which has resulted in a significant rise in people being unnecessarily written off work and parked on welfare.

It comes amid concerns that the fit note system has opened the floodgates for millions of people to be written off work and into welfare without getting the right support and treatment they might need to help them stay in work.

Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”. A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

To address this, the Prime Minister yesterday announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from already stretched GPs, towards specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time and expertise to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they may need.

A call for evidence will be published later today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.

The Prime Minister said: “We don’t just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do – not what you can’t.

“Building on the pilots we’ve already started we’re going to design a new system where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.

“We’re also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs and giving it to specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so.”

Setting out his vision for a “new welfare settlement for Britain”, the Prime Minister outlined the new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic particularly the unprecedented rise in inactivity and how the government plans to tackle them.

Before the pandemic, we had the second lowest inactivity rate in the G7, lower than France, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. But since the pandemic, a significant number of working aged people have become inactive due to long term sickness which has in large part been driven by mental health conditions.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. Of those inactive due to long term sickness at the start of last year, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.

This is also driving an unsustainable increase in welfare spending as more people claiming disability benefits are now assessed as having anxiety or depression as their main condition.

Since the pandemic, total spending on working age disability and ill-health benefits increased by almost two-thirds from £42.3 billion to £69 billion and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing.

The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and acts as a gateway towards some ill health and disability benefit assessments. There is also clear evidence that the longer someone is out of work, the lower the likelihood that they return to work – further exacerbating the rise in inactivity.

The Prime Minister made the case that we need to be more ambitious about how we help people, particularly with mental health conditions, back into work and ensure they are not left behind on the benefits system.

The Prime Minister added: “We should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable, and I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have.

“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it because it’s too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence. Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help.

“Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health…

“…then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.”

Yesterday’s fit note review builds on the significant steps the UK Government has taken so far to break down barriers to work and tackle inactivity.

This includes through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which is already helping over a million people, including those with mental health conditions, break down barriers to work by expanding access to mental health services and putting an additional 384,000 people through NHS Talking Therapies.

The new WorkWell pilot is also being rolled out and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once it has gone live in approximately 15 areas across England.

The WorkWell services provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services, to help people manage their health conditions and get back to work sooner. This is part of an ambitious programme to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.

DWP are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services.

It will also complement the role of Occupational Health in ensuring employers understand and benefit from more expert work and health support to retain and support those in work.

The fit note call for evidence is part of five key reforms the Prime Minister outlined in his speech to put work at the heart of welfare and modernise the welfare system to ensure it is fit for the future.

New disability benefit for pensioners

Five areas first to get Pension Age Disability Payment

Pensioners in five Scottish local authorities will be the first in the country eligible for a new disability benefit, subject to parliamentary approval of regulations.

From 21 October, Pension Age Disability Payment – the replacement for Attendance Allowance – will be piloted in Argyll & Bute, Highland, Aberdeen City, Orkney and Shetland.

The benefit will become available in 13 more local authority areas on 24 March next year before becoming available across Scotland by 22 April.

Pension Age Disability Benefit is for people of pension age who have a disability or long-term health condition that means they need help looking after themselves or supervision to stay safe.

It is not means-tested and is worth between £290 and £434 a month depending on the needs of the person who gets it.

Currently over 150,000 people in Scotland get Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions.

They do not need to take any action as their awards will be automatically moved from the DWP to Social Security Scotland. This will happen in phases, with the first expected to be transferred in early 2025.

Pension Age Disability Payment was designed with the people who will be eligible for the benefit and those who support them. Improvements include a streamlined process for people to nominate a third party representative who can support them to communicate with Social Security Scotland.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “In the midst of the cost of living crisis it is more important than ever that older people get the support they’re entitled to.

“We developed Pension Age Disability Payment by listening to the people who would be applying for it and those who support them. We made changes including making it easier for an eligible person to nominate a third party representative, something people told us was important for many older people.

“The pilot phase will allow us to put our different approach into practice, learning and improving before the benefit is rolled out across Scotland.

“If you think you might be eligible for support right now, I encourage you to apply for Attendance Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions.

“Anyone getting that benefit will automatically have their award transferred to Pension Age Disability Payment next year so there is no reason to wait.”

Move to Child Disability Payment completed

All disabled children and young people in Scotland who receive disability benefits will now be paid directly from Social Security Scotland.

Those children and young people who receive Child Disability Payment will also benefit from a review system different to that of the wider UK, one based on dignity, fairness and respect.

The latest figures show around 47,000 children and teenagers have had their awards moved to Child Disability Payment delivered by Social Security Scotland.

The transfers began in 2021 when the new benefit was launched to replace Disability Living Allowance for children, paid by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Around 76,000 disabled children and young people in Scotland now receive Child Disability Payment, including around 31,000 who applied since the new benefit was launched.

Child Disability Payment helps cover the extra costs of caring for a disabled or terminally ill child or young person.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said: “One of the defining characteristics of the benefits system in Scotland is that people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

“Everyone in Scotland who previously received Disability Living Allowance for children from the UK Government now gets Child Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. This has been a significant and important undertaking.

“The change means 47,000 more children in Scotland and their families can now look forward to less anxiety, less uncertainty and more financial security when their disability benefits come up for review.

“Social Security Scotland takes a human rights-based approach to reviews. The time between reviews is also set by case managers and can vary from two years to ten years. This is especially important for people with life-long disabilities and helps provide the financial security that is needed to pay for ongoing care and support.”

Rebecca, 40, from Edinburgh says her experience with Social Security Scotland since her son’s benefit was moved has been markedly better than under the UK system.

She said: “The transfer all went smoothly, but the biggest difference for me was when his yearly review came around. The DWP review is a 48-page document. Just writing down again and again, that nothing had changed.

“It used to be a couple of months of feeling anxious. Not knowing how the application was going to be scored this time.

“Even though nothing had changed, the person scoring it might have a different view from the person who did it the last time.

“You don’t know if you’re going to get any money at all, if you’ll get less or if it will be the same rate that you had before the review. It’s difficult to plan ongoing support when there’s so much uncertainty.

“There was also always a kind of feeling that somebody was trying to catch you out with the DLA application. It’s absolutely inhumane.

“This time when the renewal letter came through instead of saying, ‘You have to go through the whole traumatic process again,’ it was, ‘Has anything changed?’

“The short answer was, ‘No, my son still has cerebral palsy. There hasn’t been a miracle overnight.’ And that was accepted, what a difference.

“There are a lot of hard things about being in a family that’s affected by disability. This was someone taking away one of those hard things.

“That has been fantastic and I’m incredibly grateful for the values that underpin Social Security Scotland.”

The review period for awards is decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the client’s condition and whether their needs are expected to change. Generally, review periods range from two to ten years.

Social security payments rise

Support for more than 1.2 million people in Scotland

All Scottish social security benefits are increasing by 6.7% in April, providing more support for disabled people, unpaid carers and people on low incomes.

Scottish Child Payment, which helps the families of more than 327,000 children, is now worth £26.70 per child per week.

A person eligible for the highest rate of Adult Disability Payment will receive £184.30 per week.

Carer Support Payment, Scotland’s newest benefit, has gone up to £81.90 every four weeks. The benefit for unpaid carers launched in three local authorities last year and will be available across Scotland by Autumn 2024.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our investment in social security helps low‑income families with their living costs, enables disabled people to live full and independent lives, and supports older people to heat their homes in winter.

“This financial year we are committing a record £6.3 billion for benefits expenditure – which is £1.1 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security.

“We are making a choice to increase direct support for people who need it the most and that is more important than ever during the current cost of living crisis.”

Full devolution of Discretionary Housing Payments from 1 April

Increased budget for housing costs support

More than £90 million will be allocated to local authorities in 2024-25 to support eligible households at risk of hardship through the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) scheme.

The funding enables local authorities to mitigate the impact of UK Government policies such as the ‘bedroom tax’ and the ‘benefit cap’ which can reduce how much universal credit or housing benefit someone receives.

Payments can also be made where Local Housing Allowance doesn’t meet someone’s rent, or if a household is in hardship and struggling to meet their housing costs.

Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “This funding will help to bridge the gap between what people need in benefits from the UK Government, and what they actually receive. This can be the difference between a family thriving, or a family experiencing financial hardship.

“We are clear that this is the right thing to do to support households – but the Scottish Government should not be forced to step in and divert money from our own housing and anti-poverty policies because of UK Government welfare reforms.”

One Parent Families Scotland CEO Satwat Rehman said: “The Scottish Government is to be commended for taking these mitigating measures as we recognise it continues to spend massive sums compensating for welfare cuts made by the UK government.

“Mitigating the benefit cap is absolutely the right thing to do. The increased funding and improved support for families affected by the benefit cap will be greatly welcomed by the many single parents who have been pushed into further hardship by this policy. 74% of all capped households in Scotland consist of single parents with children (92% of whom are women).

“We at OPFS will do everything we can to ensure all single parent families affected by the benefit cap apply to their local authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment to replace the vital income they should have received. Now the UK Government must act to scrap this poverty creating benefit cap altogether.”

The Scottish Discretionary Housing Payments budget is £90.5 million in 2024-25.

In Scotland, if you rent your home and you get Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, but still can’t afford your housing costs, you may be eligible for a Discretionary Housing Payment.

A Discretionary Housing Payment can be made if you:

are affected by the benefit cap
are affected by the bedroom tax
claim Housing Benefit but it doesn’t cover all your rent
claim Universal Credit but still can’t afford your housing costs
need help with removal costs
need help with a rent deposit

Scotland’s National Chef backs food payment push

Champion cook Gary promotes vital Best Start support

Superchef Gary Maclean has urged people to check whether they may be newly-qualified for a benefit which helps with the cost of buying healthy food, milk and first infant formula.

Best Start Foods is up to £39.60 via a pre-paid chip and pin card every four weeks to spend on food from pregnancy until a child turns three.

The Scottish Government benefit was extended In February to include 20,000 more people by removing income limits. Now anyone who gets a qualifying benefit, is pregnant or has a child under 3, is eligible regardless of their other income.

Some of those who are eligible might not yet have applied and Gary, who won series nine of the BBC’s Masterchef in 2016, urged them not to miss out.

Gary, who became Scotland’s first national chef in 2017, emphasised the importance of expectant parents getting all the support available to buy nutritious foods.

The 52-year-old, said extra available cash could be vital in making ingredients go further when cooking for babies and toddlers.

Gary said: “Best Start Foods is really vital extra help at an important time in people’s lives and I would encourage all those who think they may qualify to make the most of it.

“We are all aware of the rising costs of food in recent years so any help in buying nutritious ingredients can make a difference.

“Pregnancy is definitely a time when good wholesome food is especially important. This payment is available from as soon as you know you are pregnant and I want people to be aware of that.

“There are people who may not have been eligible before but are now following some changes to the rules – people can check online and apply if they think they qualify.”

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Gary has been a champion of using locally sourced healthy ingredients and using budgets sensibly to make great nutritious meals.

“Best Start Foods is now available to more people than ever before thanks to our commitment to tackling poverty – with investment of £1.1 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security.

“As Gary has said we want to make sure as many people as possible get this support. If you think you are eligible please check online and apply.”

The call has been echoed by charity One Parent Families Scotland. Chief Executive Satwat Rehman said: “The Best Start Foods grant is a vital source of support for parents, and we very much welcome the fact that the income threshold to qualify has been increased.

“This means that a large number of parents we support will now be eligible, having previously lost out because their income was only just above the threshold.”