Welsh Government estimate that there is currently £2bn of unclaimed benefits in Wales. At CDPS, we’re currently working on a project to help improve access to Welsh Benefits, ensuring that people in Wales can easily access the support available to them.
In a previous phase of our work, we created a concept for a streamlined application process for the school’s essential grant, free school meals and council tax reduction. We had tested it with users, but crucially, we hadn't tested it with councils to see whether it was actually feasible for them to implement.
We’ve since been testing and refining the concept with local authorities. We engaged with 4 councils to test our concept – made up of 2 distinct user journeys. What we've discovered about data sharing has revealed both significant opportunities and critical gaps that need addressing.
Journey 1
Journey 1 is designed for residents who are included in the Universal Credit data share. This is a relatively automated journey with minimal proactive input required from applicants themselves. The response from councils was overwhelmingly positive - all of them were already implementing some of these ideas and were open to embracing other suggestions if certain barriers could be overcome.
Journey 2
Journey 2 presented more challenges. This pathway is for residents who need to fill in an application form to apply for any of the 3 benefits in scope. The concept aimed to minimise the information someone has to provide by having councils use other data sources they already have access to. This is where we encountered a problem: Searchlight, the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) database that would be key to this approach, is missing some crucial information required for Council Tax Reduction assessments.
Understanding different user cohorts
Different cohorts applying for these benefits need to provide different amounts of information based on their circumstances. This can be illustrated with 3 examples.
Consider someone of pension age who has retired, whose children have left home, and who is receiving the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit. This person is automatically passported into receiving full Council Tax Reduction. If they don’t share their home with any non-dependents, we could ask them just their name and National Insurance number, with everything else available via Searchlight.
Similarly, a single parent who is unemployed, has a long-term health condition or disability, and receives Universal Credit would need to provide very little information. They wouldn't need to explain about partners, non-dependents living with them, or earned income.
However, someone who is self-employed with earnings below the Universal Credit minimum income floor, and who shares their property with other adults, faces a more complicated situation. They would need to provide considerably more information and evidence for effective assessment.
The Data Challenge
Our current focus is creating the simplest possible single application form. To achieve this, we need to understand what councils must know to assess people for the 3 benefits, what they already have access to through existing data sources, and therefore what applicants must provide in their applications.
We've successfully compiled a comprehensive list of what councils must consider when assessing someone for Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit, Free School Meals, or School Essentials Grants. However, we're struggling with understanding in detail what councils have access to through data sharing arrangements.
We're currently working with DWP to understand what Searchlight provides to councils under different circumstances. In parallel, we're exploring how to structure the application form so each person only answers questions relevant to their situation, minimising the information burden on applicants.
