Case Study
Topic
Financial Support for Individuals
Incident / Exercise
Incident: Yorkshire and the Humber flooding, June 2007
Background and Context
This case study sets out the operational steps taken by Jobcentre Plus, an
Agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), to ensure that those
entitled to Social Fund payments following the 2007 flooding in parts of
Yorkshire and the Humber were able to access them easily.
DWP’s role in this situation was to provide financial assistance to people
on income related benefits or the lowest of incomes. The special measures
put in place locally by Jobcentre Plus were developed to make that
assistance easily accessible, but targeted at those groups.
The Social Fund is the safety net underlying the benefits scheme that
provides grants and repayable loans to people who meet qualifying
conditions. The Social Fund was the principal way in which the DWP could
assist. The main sources of Social Fund help for people affected by
the flooding were repayable Crisis Loans and non-repayable
Community Care Grants. These payments are made under the
discretionary part of the Social Fund scheme.
Crisis loans
Crisis Loans can be paid to anyone who is without the means to meet their
immediate needs to prevent a serious risk to their health or safety.
All the means available to an applicant are taken into account when
deciding whether a payment can be made. Crisis Loans can be paid for
items (cooker, beds, etc.) or day to day living expenses.
The loans are repayable - the rate of repayment is agreed with the customer
at the time the loan is taken out and deductions are made automatically
from the customer’s weekly benefit (separate arrangements are made for
people not on benefit). Crisis loans for immediate needs are usually paid
at 75% of the weekly rate of Income Support that would apply to the
customer, plus additions for children and partners.
Community Care Grants
Community Care grants are non-repayable grants to help to support
vulnerable people living in the community. For example, they can help
people remain in the community rather than entering care, or to ease
exceptional pressures on families. An applicant must be in receipt of
Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance or Pension Credit.
Community Care Grant funding is cash limited with budgets held at local
level and applications are prioritised in terms of need. Awards can
be made to help customers to replace the most essential household items –
usually only high priority needs are met. There is a £1m contingency
fund held back annually to be used when local grants budgets are under
pressure from extra unanticipated demand, such as flooding.
How the Topic was Handled
Applying for Social Fund help in Yorkshire and the Humber
For Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for items, customers would
usually complete an application form and send it to Jobcentre Plus.
For Crisis Loans for immediate living expenses, applications are normally
made by telephone or in writing.
Jobcentre Plus put in place a series of special measures in Yorkshire and
the Humber to ensure that people in need could access Social Fund services
easily. These measures included:-
-
a dedicated, local, telephone Flood Line to take Social Fund applications
-
opening Jobcentres at weekends
-
an active Jobcentre Plus presence in evacuation centers
-
working closely with the Local Authorities – for example, by ensuring
their emergency teams have stocks of Social Fund application forms
-
visiting customers who had difficultly travelling
-
bolstering the ‘Out of Hours’ service so that help was available for
needy customers at all times
-
fast-tracking Community Care Grant applications so that they were
processed within 24 hours.
Lessons Identified
None provided.
Contacts for Further Information
Greg Watkins
Risk Management Operational Lead
Jobcentre Plus.
Tel: 0207 273 6034
Wendy Rodgers
Business Continuity Manager
Jobcentre Plus.
Tel: 0207 273 5063
