Spring budget analysis, HSF5 and we're in the news - a lot!

Top stories

1. Spring Budget 2024: Marginal tax rates improved for low earners and families but more to do Following this month's budget, Policy in Practice published two reports analysing the impacts of the Chancellor’s announcements. Although there are positive impacts for some, the first report advocates for the abolition of the High Income Child Benefit Charge. The analysis explores the impact for low and middle earners on Universal Credit which featured in The Telegraph.

2. Back to work? How a tougher conditionality regime risks moving people away from employment
 Our second report following the Budget investigates the rise in long term unemployment and how punitive Back to Work sanctions make it a risk for many to rejoin the workforce. Featured in The Times, The Telegraph and The Express, we also applied the analysis to a case study for The Sun to illustrate how many people are better off returning to employment. We also appeared on GB News to dispel the myth that people are ‘choosing to be sick’ and remain out of work.

3. Household Support Fund: can we make HSF5 the best round yet?
 We blogged about the extension of HSF to September 2024, the postcode lottery of schemes and the impact this will have on the people and organisations administering it. Previous Policy in Practice research into the efficacy of local welfare assistance found councils remain best placed to deliver support. Councils using our LIFT platform to identify and allocate support have been able to put money into pockets faster while lessening the burden of yet another application for people in need.

4. Policy in Practice takes centre stage in March media coverage Following the extensive coverage of our Spring Budget analysis, our media momentum continued with an appearance on BBC Radio 4 Moneybox. In a unique case of a skinny dipping fundraiser, Founder and Director, Deven Ghelani spoke with Paul Lewis about how self employed people are assessed for benefits and support. Our analysis, Missing out: £19 billion in support goes unclaimed each year, is still making headlines featuring on ITV News. Following all the media coverage, Deven explained why Policy in Practice does so much policy work.

House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee report notes Policy in Practice's advocacy and campaigning

Our ongoing research and analysis of benefit levels was recognised by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee in their recent report, Benefit levels in the UK: Second Report of Session 2023-24. This report follows the Committee's call for evidence launched in 2023, which aimed to assess the adequacy of current benefit levels for working-age individuals and families. As a leading voice in social policy analysis, Policy in Practice and our director Deven Ghelani submitted evidence which contributed to the report. Our evidence, drawing on extensive data and analysis, highlighted the significant gap between current benefit levels and the essential costs of living. We demonstrated how this shortfall leaves many households struggling to meet basic needs, even before the recent cost of living crisis. The report also cited our research, Missing out: £19 billion of support is unclaimed each year, and the impact this has on poverty in the UK.

Policy in Practice joins forces with the British Gas Energy Trust

By including a new alert in our award-winning Better Off Calculator we can now direct users to energy debt relief grants from the British Gas Energy Trust .

This collaboration aims to inform and empower the Trust’s clients and their household finances, allowing them to identify and apply for vital support, including the Trust’s own grant scheme. With £19 billion in support unclaimed each year, this partnership will broaden awareness of unclaimed support and reduce barriers to take up.

To learn more about this partnership contact admin@britishgasenergytrust.org.uk or hello@policyinpractice.co.uk

New feature in the Better Off Calculator

Our award winning Better Off Calculator is continually evolving to deliver the most impact for our individual users and organisations. For the past ten years the Better Off Calculator has helped people identify what benefits they're eligible for. We know that even people already claiming benefits often miss out on something such as Council Tax Support, social tariffs or bill support, or elements of Universal Credit. Users have told us that knowing more about what benefits someone is eligible for and what they're already claiming would be helpful. So, we are introducing new features and improving existing ones to help you to understand this uplift.

Vote: Policy in Practice in the Smartmoneypeople Consumer Credit Awards

Read: Unlocking impact: Top 10 features in the Better Off Calculator

Learn: How to grow the financial strength of your customers

A huge congratulations to our valued clients on their retirement

We would like to take the opportunity to wish Jane Worrell, Folkestone & Hythe District Council , and Sally Sanders, Enfield Council , all the best in their retirement. Thank you both for your support of Policy in Practice and the difference you have made to the lives of low income families.

Another successful LIFT Community workshop

Over 100 people from local authorities all over the country joined our LIFT workshop this month to hear four local authorities who shared how they use LIFT to create impact. We discussed how we help clients with issues ranging from Managed Migration and HSF to the DWP MoU. Learn how LIFT can help you to build resident's financial resilience and avoid council costs.

Register: Data driven success: from tackling homelessness to unlocking £1m income and unlocking £1m income and recovering over £550k of debt Wednesday 24 April, 10.30 to 11.45

Register

Webinar replay: Modelling council tax support schemes: automation, banding, generosity and beyond

Listen back to hear

• How early adopters of CTR banded schemes are now refining their approaches
• How automation is increasing collection rates and improving internal efficiency
• Why increasing the generosity of your CTR scheme will lead to better collection rates and reduced staff costs

With guest speaker Corin Hammersley, Advice and Policy Manager, Royal Borough of Greenwich

Watch back on demand

Webinar replay: How East Riding of Yorkshire Council grew the income of 15,700 households by £13m

Listen back to hear

• Which benefit take up campaigns were carried out and how successful they were
• How a return on investment of £416 for every £1 invested was achieved by just one small team
• How East Riding of Yorkshire’s approach can be replicated elsewhere

With guest speaker Paul Furness, Debt Management Operations Manager, East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Watch back on demand

We were out and about in March

• Policy and Research Director, Rachael Walker , presented at Resonance Limited Housing Forum as well as for Greater Manchester Poverty Action on 'The Power of Place in Tackling Poverty'. We were delighted to contribute to the conversation and discuss how the Better Off Calculator supports our housing partners and local government to maximise the income of residents and the power of harnessing data to close the £19 billion in unclaimed support gap.

• Genevieve Orford and Ed McNamara joined an All Party Parliamentary Group meeting to discuss affordability in the water sector and explore the potential for a national social tariff. Policy in Practice work with many water companies to implement the Better Off Calculator and streamline the assessment for social tariffs to allow for automation by one click applications.

• Rachael Walker and Kate Elizabeth C. attended the NESTA conference: “Using data in the early years.” The team spoke about Free School Meals and how our auto enrolment campaigns are breaking through stigma, complexity, and bureaucracy by taking benefits to people and not placing the burden of application on low income households.
• Rachael Walker , Sam Fathers , Abigail Everett , Jack Rowlands and Jade Alsop attended the various IRRV Forums across the country this month, discussing the value and types of unclaimed benefits in each local area.

To contact any member of the team email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk

Blogs you may have missed

Household Support Fund: can we make HSF5 the best round yet?

New HSF money worth £500 million was announced in the Spring Budget. We look at the impact of HSF and advise how councils can spend HSF5

by Rachael Walker

Read blog

Back to work? How a tougher conditionality regime risks moving people away from employment

We look at past policies on economic inactivity to see if new policies will increase UC claims from people who are expected to look for work

by Jack Rowlands

Read blog

Spring Budget 2024: Marginal tax rates improved for low earners and families but more to do

SB24: We look at marginal tax rates and find that the Chancellor should have abolished the High Income Child Benefit Charge altogether

by Deven Ghelani

Read blog

We can do better: Women, welfare and the gender benefits gap

Despite women making up the majority of benefit claimants the gender benefits gap is startling. We reveal ten key though provoking numbers

by Rachael Walker

Read blog

Liz Kendall gives her first major speech on social security

Liz Kendall, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, recognises the potential of better data sharing in her first major speech on social security at an event by DEMOS

by Deven Ghelani

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Jobs at Policy in Practice

We’re always looking for people who are hungry to drive change and make a difference. The compelling work we do, together with the benefits we give and the career prospects we offer, make Policy in Practice a great place to work.

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Join our talent pool to hear about future opportunities visit policyinpractice.co.uk/jobs.