Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Accepted
Department reduced annual "Help to Claim" funding and stopped face-to-face support since March 2022.
Conclusion
The Department is providing total funding of £192.4 million for the Help to Claim service from 2019–20 to 2025–26.54 It has been reducing annual funding – from £38 million in 2019–20 to £22 million in 2023–24 and £19 million per year on average over the next two years.55 Until March 2022, the Department funded Citizens Advice to provide support through online, telephone and face-to-face channels. Since then, however, it has not funded face-to-face support, having decided instead to provide this type of support at its jobcentres or through its home visiting service.56 46 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.6, 2.19 47 Q 55 48 Q 60 49 Q 65 50 Q 83 51 Qq 70, 78, 80; Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work & Pensions to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, 22 March 2024 52 Q 80 53 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.20–2.21 54 C&AG’s Report, Figure 13 55 Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work & Pensions to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, 22 March 2024 56 C&AG’s Report, para 2.21 16 Progress in implementing Universal Credit
Government Response Summary
The government states it agrees with the implicit recommendation and confirms it already comprehensively monitors the Help to Claim service, working with Citizens Advice to ensure effective support. It is also considering the impact of upcoming migration changes to ensure appropriate support.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 The department comprehensively monitors Help to Claim’s performance and works with Citizens Advice to ensure the support offer is working effectively and able to meet demand. Regular monitoring activity includes: • weekly delivery checkpoints which review telephony and webchat performance, • monthly finance and operational meetings with Citizens Advice, • monthly meetings with the department’s operational colleagues to gather feedback on Help to Claim delivery, • quarterly board meetings to review delivery against agreed outcomes and Key Performance Indicators, • monthly senior meetings between the department and Citizens Advice, focused on overall delivery and strategic planning, and • mid and end-of-year reports assessing performance, client data and client experience. 5.3 The department is confident that the current support offer is working effectively. Since April 2019, Help to Claim has supported over 900,000 people, with 90% rating their overall experience as good or very good. 5.4 The department is currently working with Citizens Advice to consider the impact on Help to Claim of bringing forward the migration of remaining Employment and Support Allowance claimants to Universal Credit and what steps are needed to ensure the right support is in place for these customers. This is in addition to the department’s existing monitoring to check the system can meet demand and iterate the approach as required if any problems arise.