Welcome to the October edition of in touch

Each month, in touch keeps you up to date with the latest news from Jobcentre Plus.

In this edition you can find out more about the launch of the Employment and Support Allowance on 27 October and changes to paydays planned to start next year. Consultation on the Government’s Welfare Reform green paper also closes this month, so make sure you’ve taken the opportunity to send in your views. And finally, the Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) awards are now open for nominations - find out more below.

If you have a suggestion for a future edition, or any feedback, please let us know.

Latest news

Employment and Support Allowance goes live

27 October sees the launch of Employment and Support Allowance, a new way of helping people with an illness or disability move into work rather than stay on benefits. The allowance replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers with a simpler, integrated benefit and was developed following invaluable consultation and input from a range of stakeholders.

We continue to work with the Jobcentre Plus Customer Representative Group Forum and with other stakeholders, including healthcare professionals and employer organisations, to develop new materials providing more information about Employment and Support Allowance. This support will continue to be vital during the coming months as we help our shared customers benefit from the support available.

Further information and downloadable materials providing detail about Employment and Support Allowance are available online at www.dwp.gov.uk/esa. They include a visual representation of the customer journey through a claim, a set of frequently asked questions and an expanded range of factsheets covering useful technical detail. The site will continue to be updated and expanded beyond the launch of the allowance on 27 October.

View the ESA Customer Journey online

2009 LEP Awards launched

Nominations have opened for the 2009 Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) Awards.

The Regional LEP Awards will recognise employers, employees and partner organisations for their outstanding achievements through LEPs in the English regions, Scotland and Wales.

Employers who have recruited through LEPs can nominate themselves, their employees and partner organisations for awards in six categories, ranging from Unlocking Talent to Recruitment Innovation. Partner organisations can also nominate themselves, for their LEP work with employers, and individuals whom they’ve helped into work through a LEP agreement. You can find the awards criteria and a nomination form on this website.

Nominations close on 28 November, and the shortlists of companies and individuals selected for the regional finals will be announced in January.

Regional winners will go forward to the National awards, with the overall winners to be announced at a London ceremony in June next year.

Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform Tony McNulty said, “I’m delighted to announce the Local Employment Partnership Awards 2009. They build on the success of the 2008 Awards, which celebrated many inspiring stories of employers, partner organisations and government working together to give people the opportunity and support to turn their lives around.”

LEPs are based on a simple deal. Jobcentre Plus gets those people often overlooked in the labour market ready for work, and employers with local vacancies give them a fair shot at the jobs. By the end of September 2008 more than 38,000 people had found work through LEPs, with more than 7,000 employers.

Stakeholder news

Welfare Reform

A series of major events are being held this month to gather stakeholder views on the Government's welfare reform proposals as set out in the green paper No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility.

Welsh stakeholders will be meeting Ministers and officials in Cardiff on Monday 6 October with similar events to be held in Edinburgh on 9 October and Newcastle on 24 October. These events are in addition to a range of meetings that have been held with various interest groups over recent weeks.

If you haven't had the chance to put your views directly to Ministers you can still contribute to the consultation by post, email or online. Deadline for comments is 22 October and full details can be found online at the DWP website.

Customer News

Change of paydays

From 6 April 2009 Jobcentre Plus is introducing new arrangements to help simplify benefit payments.

Although these will bring long-term improvements for all customers, some people may experience minor disruption at the time the changes take place. Jobcentre Plus may offer financial support to some customers to help them manage their affairs over the change period.

The new arrangements will mean that:

• all benefits are paid in arrears
• benefits will usually be paid every two weeks, and
• customers will move to a pay week ending day that is linked to their National Insurance number.

These changes will take place over two years from 6 April 2009. Customers who are affected will receive a letter giving them general information, followed by another letter four weeks before their arrangements change that provides more detail. Both letters will direct customers to sources of further information.

For more information visit the Changes to paydays section on this website.

Better off in Work Credit (BWC) Pilot in Yorkshire and the Humber

From later this month, Jobcentre Plus in Yorkshire and the Humber region will pilot the new Better off in Work Credit (BWC).

BWC aims to ensure that customers who have been receiving qualifying benefits continuously for 26 weeks or more, who move into full time work will receive an income from work, including any in work benefits and tax credits, of at least £25 per week more than they received from out of work benefits.

The BWC pilot will commence on 27 October 2008 for customers who live and claim benefit within Yorkshire and the Humber and is expected to last for at least one year. BWC will be subject to a thorough evaluation and if the pilot proves successful we will look to roll out the BWC nationally in 2009/2010.

Yorkshire and the Humber Region was chosen to pilot BWC as it reflects national characteristics for economic activity, contains a range of rural, urban and mixed areas and also has disadvantaged Local Authority wards in all three of its Jobcentre Plus Districts.

The vast majority of customers are better off in work than on benefits. For those who are not, BWC can be paid for up to 26 weeks and is intended to remove an important barrier to customers taking jobs and to help them move into and settle into work.

As part of the BWC process, Jobcentre Plus advisers will identify other in work benefits or credits that the customer should be entitled to and provide support in claiming them. Our partners who work with our joint customers will also promote BWC and liaise with their local Jobcentre contact for assistance with claims and any enquiries.

About in touch

in touch aims to provide you with short summaries of the latest news, progress of our modernisation programme, forthcoming changes to benefit rules, updates on performance, as well as news on important policy issues which affect our shared customers. in touch complements Touchbase, the quarterly publication from DWP, by providing a monthly focus on Jobcentre Plus related issues.

If someone you know might like to receive in touch, they can subscribe online. Jobcentre Plus will not pass on any details to a third party. Your information will only be used to provide you with information on Jobcentre Plus and DWP business.

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