Page 113 - Reforming Benefits Decision-Making

costs.” We understand from the Ministry of Justice that work on the pilot
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was paused for most of 2020 due to the pandemic but the pilot should
commence at the beginning of 2022. The current proposal is to pilot the
provision of rolled up legal advice in welfare benefits, debt and housing in
two geographic areas. We welcome the pilot and urge the Government to
progress it as quickly as possible.

Help to Claim

4.33 The DWP invested £39 million in Help to Claim, a service provided by
Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland to assist claimants in applying
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for UC. The assistance is offered across varying channels, including face-
to-face, over the phone and online and through webchat. The service
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comprises technical assistance and substantive welfare advice.
4.34 We welcome the provision of advice and support for people making UC
applications. However, the service is focused on the initial application and is
provided only up to the point at which a claimant receives their first payment.
We were told that this is insufficient as claimants require ongoing assistance
to engage with UC, in particular, those who are digitally excluded. As
discussed further below, legal problems often cluster together, such as those
relating to debt, benefits and housing. The predecessor to Help to Claim,
Universal Support, was envisaged as a ‘wrap around’ service that would
include additional assistance, for example for those struggling to manage their
money.
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324 See n. 14 above, Ministry of Justice, Legal Support: The Way Ahead. An Action plan to deliver
better support to people experiencing legal problems (CP 40, 2019) p. 7.
325 Universal Credit, ‘Citizens Advice launch new services for people applying for Universal Credit’
(April 2019). The service was previously called Universal Support.
326 Help to Claim is run in Northern Ireland, however the DfC has provides / funds other support
services. The DfC run an expanding advice section called Make the Call. It initially provided checks
for benefits eligibility for those who called but we were told that they are now moving into providing
further services such as form filling (nidirect, Make the Call Service). The DfC also fund a single point
of contact telephone number for benefit advice relating to welfare reform – the Welfare Changes
Helpline, which is operated by Advice NI (nidirect, Welfare changes helpline).
327 Work and Pensions Committee, Universal Credit: Wait for First Payment (October 2020) para 124.

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