What we are doing
2011/12 Benefit Uptake Programme
The Benefit Uptake Programme
This year’s Benefit Uptake Programme is underway. It is the seventh annual Programme and the main focus will be on older people.
The 2011/12 Programme consists of four distinct strands:
- Targeted Exercises
- Outreach to Older People
- A provincewide Advertising Campaign aimed at Older People
- An Innovation Fund of £250,000
1. Targeted Exercises
Building on the success of previous approaches, there will be 3 targeted exercises with the aim of reaching 25,000 clients. The exercises will focus on increasing the uptake of all benefits but in particular:
Attendance Allowance
This exercise will aim to involve 13,600 State Pension customers. Those not getting Attendance Allowance and/or Disability Living Allowance will be contacted, most likely starting with oldest clients. Mailing for this exercise has been completed.
Carers Allowance
This exercise will aim to involve 3,300 individuals selected because i) they are the appointee for a customer getting Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance but not Severe Disability Premium with no one receiving Carer’s Allowance for them or ii) they are the parent/guardian of a child getting high or middle rate care element with no one claiming Carer’s Allowance. Mailing for this exercise has been completed.
State Pension Credit
This exercise will aim to involve 8,100 customers getting State Pension and not State Pension Credit. Mailing for this exercise has been completed
Approach
All clients will be contacted by letter advising them that the Agency is carrying out a Benefit Uptake Programme in partnership with Advice NI, an independent Advice Sector partner. They will be advised to contact Advice NI for a full and confidential benefit assessment. This includes eligibility for all Social Security benefits, Housing Benefit and the Warm Homes Scheme. Clients will also be advised that they could be offered additional information/advice on such issues as debt, wills etc.
2. Outreach to Older People
The Agency also continued its Outreach approach which aimed to gain access to older people who do not routinely engage with the Agency or the advice sector. A total of 16 Council areas have already been targeted in previous years and in 2011/12, the last remaining 10 Council areas, with a pensioner population of 130,000, will be targeted. The 10 areas are:
- Ards,
- Belfast,
- Carrickfergus,
- Cookstown,
- Craigavon,
- Derry,
- Limavady,
- Moyle,
- Newtownabbey and
- Strabane.
3. Advertising Campaign
A province wide advertising campaign will run from 14 November 2011, through the winter period and into 2012. This will involve advertising the Agency's freephone number 0800 232 1271 on television, radio and in newspapers. The Campaign "Make the call" aims to encourage older people to find out if there are any benefits on which they may be missing out.
4. Innovation Fund
An Innovation Fund of £375,000 has recently provided funding to 7 new projects led by community and voluntary sector partners. These projects are testing new and innovative ways of reaching people with potential unclaimed benefit entitlement.
Outreach Service
From 16 May 2011, all outreach services to customers of all ages, have been carried out by an Outreach Team within the Benefit Entitlement Team. The Outreach Team is made up of Outreach Officers, formerly Pension Advisors, Outreach Managers and a small centralised administration team.
The Outreach Service delivers a service to customers requesting benefit checks through the Freephone number, as a result of promotional talks at community level and as referred by Agency staff. The priority for the team is to assist vulnerable customers, i.e. those customers who, at a given point, have difficulty using the preferred access channels and are therefore likely to benefit from an alternative means of contact which may include a home visit.
More information about the Benefit Uptake Programme can be found at the Benefit Entitlement page.
Useful links
The Law Centre’s Encyclopaedia of Social Welfare Rights has been published with funding from the Department for Social Development and HM Revenue & Customs. The encyclopaedia is a valuable source of information covering all social security benefits and tax credits and can help advisers assist their clients in applying for benefits and appealing decisions, ensuring that they receive all they are entitled to.
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