Welcome to the February edition of in touch

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

In this month's edition you can find out more about benefit changes that will help customers with their mortgage interest payments, the equalisation of the state pension age and new arrangements for pay periods. There's also news on the progress of the Employment and Support Allowance, and the shortlist for the regional Local Employment Partnership Awards is announced.

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

Latest News

Personal Best pilot

Personal Best is an employment and skills programme funded by the London Development Agency and Learning Skills Council. A pilot campaign beginning on 9 February will be trialled in three London boroughs, (Paddington, Havering and Brent). Posters and leaflets will be available in Jobcentre Plus offices signposting customers to a campaign line for full details on eligibility and registration.

The aim of Personal Best is to increase skills and self confidence of participants, raise aspirations of participants, enhance long-term employment opportunities and provide vocational training to a level 1 qualification.

It consists of 120 guided learning hours covering key skills, including customer relations, health and safety, first aid and equality and diversity. Personal Best graduates will be guaranteed an interview, subject to screening, to be a volunteer at the London Olympic Games.

Subject to the results of the evaluation in April, the campaign will roll out across the country region by region starting from June 2009.

Regional Local Employment Partnership Awards shortlist announced

Asda, Brand-Rex, TK Maxx and Stancliffe Stone are among the employers who have made it through to the shortlists for the regional Local Employment Partnership (LEP) Awards 2009.

The partnerships see Jobcentre Plus working closely with employers to help people who have been overlooked in the labour market find work. To date the scheme has helped more than 100,000 people.

Employees from organisations such as Royal Mail, McDonald’s and Gibson's Foods have also made it through to the shortlists. Until last year, these people had all been out of work for some time. They are now in the running for awards that recognise the barriers they have overcome to get back into work and the effort they have made to improve their skills.

The award winners will be announced at one of the 11 ceremonies starting in Edinburgh on 23 February and ending in Exeter on 31 March. The national awards will be announced on 9 June.

Stakeholder News

Employment and Support Allowance beds in

Following its successful launch in October, Employment and Support Allowance has continued to settle well into mainstream Jobcentre Plus business.

Full information and downloadable material providing details about Employment and Support Allowance are available from www.dwp.gov.uk/esa. Products include a visual representation of a customer’s journey through a claim, real-life stories from people who have been helped back into work, and a range of other downloads and resources.

The site will continue to be updated and enhanced in the coming weeks and months.

New opportunities for the future

A White Paper called ‘New Opportunities’ was published on 13 January. Its theme is ‘real help now for better opportunities in the future’. This help includes free childcare for some of the most disadvantaged families with two-year-olds, and training grants to help carers get on in work.

The paper sets out how the Government intends to work with individuals, families, communities, business and the third sector to ensure people have the best chance to fulfil their potential.

A wide variety of people, from nursery workers to entrepreneurs, attended an event at Number 10 to mark the publication of the White Paper. This is in recognition of the important contribution of individuals and organisations to the positive choices people make and the paths they take. For more information, visit www.hmg.gov.uk/newopportunities.aspx

Learning from complaints

Customer feedback and complaints are key to driving improvements in the service Jobcentre Plus is able to offer. As well as dealing with the specifics of an individual's complaint, it is keen to use the feedback to make changes to the way it provides services.

For instance, Jobcentre Plus is ensuring that customers enquiring about a Funeral Payment are signposted to other bereavement benefits that may be available. Sometimes the issues raised will be about policy or legislative requirements and, where appropriate, these will be shared with policy colleagues in DWP.

Anyone with comments is encouraged to visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Aboutus/Contactus
/Yourcomments/contactus.aspx

Customer News

Changes to pay periods

Changes to pay periods and pay week-ending days, affecting the majority of people in receipt of working-age benefits, are set to roll out on 6 April 2009.

By March 2011, changes will have been completed and most customers will receive their payments fortnightly in arrears and on a pay week-ending day linked to their National Insurance number.

From February:

• a periodicity and payday review information sheet will be emailed to Customer Representative Groups (CRGs) and be available on the Jobcentre Plus Partners site http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Partners
  /paydays/index.html
• a customer flyer will be available in Benefit Delivery Centres, CRG sites and the Jobcentre Plus website. Flyers (PP1) can be ordered through the normal ordering channels, and
• a customer helpline will offer telephone-based support to those customers who have questions about the changes (number confirmation to follow).

In February and September:

• a customer mail shot will raise awareness and provide a brief introduction to the changes.

From April 2009 onwards:

• customer system notifications will be mailed to customers detailing the changes, what these mean to them, and how to get more information and claim financial support.

Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/paydaychanges for more details.

Mortgage support changes

Benefit changes from 5 January 2009 introduced a number of measures to help working-age people with their mortgage interest payments. The changes:

• shorten the waiting period before support for mortgage interest (SMI) is paid, from 39 or 26 weeks to 13 weeks for new claims, some repeat and some existing working-age claims
• increase the capital limit for the maximum amount on which mortgage interest can be met from £100,000 to £200,000
• bring the waiting period for vulnerable groups into line with all other working-age customers. A 50 per cent rate is no longer payable but customers will receive 100 per cent of eligible interest after serving a 13-week waiting period
• mean those receiving SMI over £100,000 will keep the higher capital limit when they move onto State Pension Credit from a working age benefit for as long as they remain entitled to State Pension Credit, and
• introduce a two-year time limit on payment of SMI on income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Provision has also been made for existing customers who are in receipt of a relevant benefit but who have not completed their 26 or 39 week waiting period as of 5 January 2009 (as outlined at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases
/2008/dec/hse116-191208.asp).

In addition to the above changes, DWP has frozen the Standard Interest Rate used as the basis of the SMI calculation at 6.08 per cent for six months from November 2008 for all existing and new SMI customers, including those claiming State Pension Credit.

Full details on the implications of the changes can be found at www.dwp.gov.uk

Equalisation of State Pension age (SPa) and what this means for other benefits

Women’s State Pension age (SPa) will gradually increase from 60 to 65 from April 2010. For women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1955, their SPa may not fall on their birthday. They can check their SPa by using the SPa calculator on The Pension Service website at www.thepensionservice.gov.uk.

From 6 April 2020, the SPa for both men and women will be 65.

The qualifying age for some other benefits will also change between 2010 and 2020. For example:

• The maximum age women can receive Jobseeker’s Allowance, Reduced Earnings Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Benefit will rise to 65 in line with the increase in their SPa. Men can already receive these benefits up until age 65.
• The minimum age men and women could qualify for Pension Credit, Winter Fuel, Housing and Council Tax Benefit, will rise to 65 for pensioners. The maximum age men and women will be able to get Income Support will also increase to 65. These changes are in line with the phased increase in women’s SPa.

Eligibility to Jobcentre Plus programmes and services will continue in line with SPa.

DWP will write to women between April 2009 and January 2012 telling them when they will reach SPa, and will provide general information about changes to pensions.

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.

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