Events

The Welfare Reform Act 2012: Implications and challenges for local authorities

London - 20 July 2012

The Welfare Reform Act brings radical change to the welfare environment. Come and hear Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform and other key speakers discuss the changes to the delivery of welfare and be among the first to hear which councils have been selected to pilot the delivery of Universal Credit.

This legislation changes fundamentally councils' role in the delivery of benefits: among other things it:

subsumes a number of credits, allowances and benefits, including housing benefit, into a new Universal Credit
introduces a benefit cap to be delivered in the first instance through housing benefit
makes provision for the abolition of council tax benefit (CTB), paving the way for the introduction of localised support for council tax
gives greater powers for local authorities through localising welfare support
harmonises the investigation of benefit fraud across councils and DWP
introduces Personal Independence Payment to replace Disability Living Allowance.

Most of these reforms will be introduced from April next year. Plans for the localisation of support for council tax need to be in place by as soon as the end of January 2013.

This is a challenging agenda for councils.

How ready is your council to implement these changes?
Are you confident you can respond to the inevitable concerns of some of your most vulnerable constituents/customers?
How happy are you that you will be ready to handle new council tax support arrangements together with its accompanying 10 per cent budget cut?

If you're wrestling with these questions, whether you are an elected member or an officer; a chief executive or a revenues and benefits manager; a social services or finance director, this conference is for you. It is an opportunity not only to hear more about the reforms from the experts, but also to share concerns and discuss problems and solutions with colleagues from other councils and partners from the voluntary and community and housing sectors.

Download the flyer (PDF, 4 pages, 403KB)

Time

Registration: 9.45 am
Start: 10.30 am
End: 3.30 pm

Programme

the morning programme
09.45 – 10.30 am: Registration and refreshments
10.30 – 10.35 am: Chair's welcome and introduction
Cllr Sharon Taylor, Deputy Chair, Local Government Association
10.35 – 11.05 am: Plenary 1. The Welfare Reform Act
Lord Victor Adebowale CBE, Chief Executive, Turning Point
Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform
11.05 – 11.20 am: Questions and discussion
11.20 – 11.35 am: Refreshments
11.35 – 11.50 am: Plenary 2. Working with the DWP to deliver Universal Credit and the benefit cap
Huw Meredith, Local Authority Liaison for the Universal Credit Programme, Department for Work and Pensions
Alan Sullivan, Universal Credit Programme, Department for Work and Pensions
11.50 – 12.05 pm: Plenary 3. Localised support for council tax and new burdens arising from welfare reform
Claire Cooper, Deputy Director, Localising Council Tax Support, Department for Communities and Local Government
12.05 – 12.20 pm: Plenary 4. What does the Welfare Reform Act mean for councils?
Allen Graham, Chief Executive, Rushcliffe Borough Council
12.20 – 12.45 pm: Plenary panel question and answer session
12.45 – 1.30 pm: Lunch

the afternoon programme
1.30 – 1.50 pm: Plenary session 5. Working with communities during implementation of the reforms
Katie Lane, Head of Welfare Policy, Citizen's Advice
1.50 – 2.00 pm: Question and answer session
2.00 – 3.00 pm: Workshop sessions
W1. Localisation of support for council tax – a workshop for officers
Valerie Pearce, Improving the Customer Experience Programme Director, Head of City Services, Brighton & Hove City Council.
James Browne, Senior Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
W2. Universal Credit, the benefit cap and introduction of localised welfare support – a workshop for officers
Steve Carey, Chief Officer (Revenues and Benefits), Leeds City Council
W3. Impact of the Act on councils: what you need to know – a workshop for members
Mayor Dorothy Thornhill MBE, Elected Mayor, Watford Borough Council
Allen Graham, Chief Executive, Rushcliffe Borough Council
3.00 – 3.30 pm: Workshop panel feedback
An opportunity to hear key points from each of the workshops.
3.30 pm: Conference close