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Benefits advice Your benefits are changing The Government is introducing a number of changes to welfare benefits - here are the main ones that may affect you. Council tax benefit The Government is abolishing council tax benefit from April 2013 and replacing it with a scheme called ‘council tax support’. The Government is also cutting the amount of money it provides by at least £2.9 million for the next financial year. Islington Council is opposed to these changes and is calling on the Government to reverse them. We want to know what you think of the proposed new council tax support scheme. Please make sure you have your say. We are sending questionnaires to all council tax benefit recipients or you can go to www.islington.gov.uk/ ctconsultation The consultation will run from 19 October to 30 November 2012. Disability living allowance The Government is abolishing Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Claimants will have to claim the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after a reassessment. The Government’s intention is to spend 20% less overall, but with under 16s and over 65s protected, this means a larger cut for claimants of working age. The details for PIP are still being finalised, but the savings target announced by the Government is £8.6 million. Around 7,800 Islington residents who claim DLA and about 9,800 who claim sickness benefits will be affected by the Work Capability Assessment and will be required to go through the re-assessment process before they can claim the new PIP. Universal Credit This is a new scheme that aims to replace a range of work benefits such as: Working Tax Credit Child Tax Credit Housing Benefit Income Support Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance. This is subject to change, but current plans are to introduce this new benefit for new out of work claimants in October 2013. Existing benefit claimants will be transferred between 2014-2017 with the aim that everyone is transferred by the end of 2017. The Government will pay Universal Credit monthly in arrears so it matches how most people are paid when in work. The benefit will also be capped and will be the same wherever you live so people on benefits will find it much more difficult to live in expensive areas of the country like Islington. If you are worried about any of these changes it is important that you act now. For more information about benefit reform go to www.direct.gov.uk or www.islington. gov.uk/benefitschanges 18
www.islington.gov.uk Help is here if you have money worries Worrying you can’t pay your rent or mortgage? Getting payday loans or using loan sharks? Can’t afford to top up your electricity or gas meter? In tough economic times, with all these changes, cuts and caps on benefits, it is more important than ever that you look at how you can manage your finances. If you have any money concerns then there is plenty of help and support for you. We have already helped hundreds of people with debt problems, and we can help you too. Islington People’s Rights (IPR) – a support service specialising in debt and welfare law - worked with Jackie* who due to illness had got into lots of debt. Gerard Omasta-Milsom at IPR said: “Jackie’s* doctor was concerned about the impact of her money problems on her health and referred her to us. We went through her options with her. With her debt being under £15,000 and with no chance of her returning to work or paying back the debts, we decided a Debt Relief Order was the best option for her. Jackie feels such a sense of relief about her debts being sorted out. “Juggling debt and bills is really stressful so I would urge anyone who has money worries to get help now. We deal with so many cases there is nothing that surprises us about them, other than how payday lenders, banks and credit card companies can behave so appallingly to people when they are most in need.” A Debt Relief Order is granted by the Insolvency Service and is a cheaper option than going bankrupt – this could be an option for someone with debts of less than £15,000 and a low income. For further information or for support services in Islington please go to www.islington.gov.uk/advice * name has been changed case study Debt advice Islington’s Citizens Advice Bureau 020 7947 7771 www.cabislington.org.uk Islington Law Centre 020 7607 2461 info@islingtonlaw.org.uk Islington People’s Rights 020 7561 3685 info@ipradvice.org.uk Disability Action in Islington 020 7226 0137 disabilityaction@daii.org Benefits Islington Council 020 7527 4990 (option 4) 0800 731 8081 claimit@islington.gov.uk Banking Islington’s Credit Union 020 7561 1786 www.credit-union.coop 19
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