October 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference will discuss the future for social security and welfare reform in England - focusing on the rolling out of Universal Credit and the impact of COVID-19 on the social security system.
The agenda:
- Key and emerging issues for social security in England
- Rolling out universal credit - lessons from pilot programmes, implementation issues, migration from the legacy benefits, and supporting councils and recipients
- Ensuring value for money from Universal Credit
- The experience of claiming Universal Credit as a disabled person - what works and what doesn’t: a case study
- Adapting the social security system to meet future challenges
- Assessing the response to COVID-19 and what it means for the future of the social security system:
- The impact of COVID-19 on the UK economy and the demand for social security
- Delivering a wider social security system that works for the most vulnerable
- Supporting those with no recourse to public funds during the pandemic
- Devolution and social security, and the impact of different approaches to reducing hardship
The discussion in detail:
- COVID-19
- implications - the impact on the UK economy and means what it for the future of the welfare system
- the social security system response - particularly with regard to Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay, with an increase in claimants as a result of the pandemic
- supporting affected groups - effectiveness for people having to quarantine during the pandemic and the self-employed, carers, parents, the long-term sick and people with disabilities
- what has been learned? - issues and gaps that have emerged, how they are being addressed, and what examples of best practice can be taken forward for the future
- no recourse to public funds - the position of affected individuals during the pandemic
- policy coordination - how the system has worked alongside wider support packages announced during the pandemic such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Plan for Jobs scheme, and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme - and the impact of changes in these packages on the benefit system
- devolved council powers - Decisions on levels and scope of Council Tax reduction schemes and the design of local hardship programmes following the abolition of the national Social Fund:
- how local authorities have responded
- the impact of the different approaches
- following Council Tax Reduction Schemes research recently published by the House of Commons Library
- rolling out Universal Credit - with the planned date for full implementation of Universal Credit delayed further to 2024:
- what has been learned - from implementation, and experience of councils and recipients, to inform the next stage of rollout
- delivering full implementation - with ‘natural migration’ slowing, what further steps are needed for rollout to be on time and how well is the migration from legacy benefits being managed
- impact - implications for stakeholders such as housing associations and on those who are in receipt of benefit of Universal Credit and moves to direct payments
- VFM - what more needs to be done to ensure the system delivers value for money and to reduce fraud in advances, in light of issues outlined by the NAO
- refining the framework - challenges for implementing a system that works for and supports both those in receipt of benefit and those who are charged with its distribution
A scan of relevant developments:
- Universal Credit - full rollout of being delayed till 2024 and the concept of natural migration to the new system
- COVID-19 - government’s response to the pandemic and Social Security Advisory Committee concerns that the benefit cap can block the full value of the additional support in some cases with the Work and Pensions Secretary’s statement that there are no plans to change the benefit cap or suspend the shared accommodation rate
- eligibility criteria - DWP’s newly presented information for individuals whether they are able to claim universal credit and access specific support schemes and benefits
- Council Tax Reduction Schemes - recently published House of Commons Library Briefing Paper with New Policy Institute research on implementation of Schemes by local authorities
- Universal Credit advances fraud - NAO’s report including on how it has been tackled by government and options for future mitigation
- The economics of Universal Credit - House of Lords inquiry looking at the benefit’s design and how well it reflects the realities of low-pay employment as well its impacts on personal income insurance, housing, childcare, training and levels of employment, job search activity, and poverty levels
- Providing school meals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - government extending the voucher scheme for free school meals following the campaign led by Marcus Rashford
- the Plan for Jobs - setting out a series of phased measures designed to support the retention and creation of jobs - including a new £2bn Kickstart Scheme aimed at creating thousands of subsidised jobs for those aged 16-24 who are currently claiming universal credit and at risk of long-term unemployment
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons Library and the House of Commons, and officials from the DWP; MHCLG; DHSC; HM Revenue & Customs; and the Office for Budget Responsibility. Also due to attend are representatives from the Camberley Alzheimer Cafe CIO; Christians Against Poverty; Church Of England; Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke on Trent; Citizens Advice Woking; City, Hackney and Waltham Forest Mind; Disabled People Against Cuts; KCIL; National Education Union; National Federation of ALMOs; National Ugly Mugs; The Community Housing Group; University of Bristol and University of Oxford.
Press passes have been reserved by representatives from the Disability News Service; The Guardian and Voice Britannia.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference