Agenda item

Briefing note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator and presentation from the Working Together on Welfare Reform Group

The following representatives have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this matter:

Sue Bent, Coventry Law Centre

Martin Buxcey, Department for Work and Pensions

Janet Gurney, Coventry Law Centre

Daksha Piparia, Citizens Advice Bureau

Gaynor Smith, Department for Work and Pensions

Mary-Ann Stephenson, Warwick University

The Committee considered a briefing note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator and two presentations concerning the impact of benefit sanctions on people in Coventry. Sue Bent and Janet Gurney, Coventry Law Centre, Martin Buxcey, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Daksha Piparia, Citizens Advice Bureau and Mary-Ann Stephenson, Warwick University attended the meeting for the consideration of this matter.

The briefing note referred to the partnership working of the Working Together on Welfare Reform Group which continued to meet to discuss common issues, share knowledge and work together to tackle problems arising from the wide scale changes to the welfare system. Both Coventry Law Centre and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau had recently worked with Coventry Women’s Voices and the Centre for Human Rights in Practice at the University of Warwick on a research project looking at the impact of sanctions and how to address some of the issues. A copy of the report was attached at an appendix to the briefing note. The findings of the project strongly supported the findings of national research and research conducted locally elsewhere in the country.

Mary-Ann Stephenson, Warwick University gave a presentation which set out the background to the research project and highlighted the new sanctions. The methodology was explained and reference was made to two national studies undertaken by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Mathew Oakley. The problems with the sanctions process were explained along with the negative impacts including the impact on job seeking behaviour. The conclusions of the project were:

(a) The sanctions process did not meet standards set out in the Oakley review

(b) Sanctions were having a serious negative impact on individuals and families in Coventry

(c) Sanctions were making it harder to look for work.

Attention was drawn to the meeting of the ‘Working Together’ Group with Martin Buxcey, DWP, which had already agreed a number of actions as a result of these findings. These included working to develop a local protocol that could be used to escalate to DWP concerns about individual case; having a single point of contact at DWP; and joint training between DWP and partners to focus on early intervention and prevention so that consistent advice and support was provided. The two main recommendations of the report were (i) change was needed in the sanctions policy at a national level and (ii) even within the existing policy there was significant scope for improving practice.

Tim Savill, Head of Revenues and Benefits, gave a presentation on the work of the ‘Working Together’ Group which detailed the challenges to be faced; informed about the monthly meetings; the positive outcomes; and what this partnership working had achieved. Copies of the presentation slides and the Groups’ strategy and key priorities were set out at appendices 2 and 3 of the briefing note.

Members questioned the officers and representatives on a number of issues and responses were provided. Matters raised included:

·  The potential impact of the report

·  How the findings of the report would be publicised

·  How national policies impacted on local decisions

·  The negative viewpoint created by the media towards benefit claimants

·  The intention for lessons to be learnt from the individual case studies

·  Further details about the personalisation of job seeking agreements and the training provided for employees at DWP

·  Clarification about the timeframe for initial interviews and the timescale for the hearing of appeals

RESOLVED that:

(1) The continued work of the Working Together on Welfare Reform Group be supported.

(2) A further report on progress with the actions agreed to address concerns about sanctions be submitted to the meeting of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee scheduled for 4th February, 2015 and all members of the Council be invited to attend.

(3) Cabinet be asked to consider whether there are any further practical steps that the local authority can take to mitigate the serious problems arising for Coventry residents as a result of welfare benefit sanctions.