Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Rejected
Develop a national strategy for benefits take-up in England and monitor local authority performance.
Conclusion
DWP should develop a strategy for benefits take-up in England by the end of 2025. It should work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop a framework for monitoring local authority work on take up and holding them to account for the results. We have heard about the research conducted on the economic gains from take-up. This research should be promoted to encourage the investment needed, including in welfare rights advice and community advocacy. (Recommendation, Paragraph 132)
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to develop a framework for monitoring and holding local authorities accountable for benefit take-up, stating it does not believe additional burdens should be placed on them. It notes its existing support for local authorities and will consider the experience of Scottish and Welsh governments' take-up activities, but does not commit to a specific take-up strategy for England by 2025 or promote research on economic gains.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government notes the Committee’s recommendation. Many local authorities undertake activities to promote benefit take-up. DWP’s Local Authority Partnership, Engagement and Delivery (LA-PED) team support local authorities in the delivery of Housing Benefit and other welfare services and have built up an excellent working relationship with local authorities. LA-PED provide consultancy support to help local authorities improve their services, assess changes to ensure that new policies take account of the implications for local authorities, including additional burdens and funding impacts where appropriate. LA-PED engagement includes communications through guidance, bulletins and stakeholder forums and a large number of data shares to ensure local authorities have access to DWP and HMRC benefit information to support assessment of passported Housing Benefit claims and other local services. LA-PED engaged with all local authorities both nationally through letters to CEOs and through our stakeholder forums following the Winter Fuel Announcement in July 2024. This was to raise the profile of DWP’s own take up activity, share resources and support local authorities to use their own data to run their own take-up efforts on Pension Credit. The Government does not believe that DWP and MHCLG should monitor and hold local authorities to account in respect of benefit take-up activities nor that additional burdens be placed on local authority services. However, the Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities in support of their local strategies. The Government will also consider the experience of the Scottish and Welsh Government’s benefit take-up activities and engagement with local authorities there.