Policy in Practice held a second Benefit and Budgeting Calculator steering group on 25 July 2019. It was attended by Policy in Practice clients including housing associations, local authorities, utility and third sector organisations. For more information contact hello@policyinpractice.co.uk, call 0330 008 9242 or visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk

1. Policy in Practice
Benefit and Budgeting Calculator
Steering Group
25 July 2019

2. Agenda
Welcome and introductions
Session 1:
• Introduction and objectives
• Learning and sharing within the group
• Calculator changes since last steering group
Break
Session 2:
• How can we help?
• Current focus
• Development pipeline
Networking drinks to close

3. Introduction and objectives
Zoe Charlesworth, Head of Policy
Louise Murphy, Policy and Operations Analyst
Dan Whitston, Chief Technical Officer
Our objective is to share information and learn from users
• New developments
• How you use the calculator
• What do you need form the calculator
Please introduce yourself and your objectives

4. Learning and sharing
• How you are using the calculator within your teams?
• What changes have you seen since the calculator was adopted?
• What's gone well to date?
• What have been the challenges?
• What are you most excited about?
• How do you see usage changing?

5. Updates since last steering group 1/
Keeping up to date for all legislative changes and benefit uprating, PLUS
• UC claim information following cessation of legacy benefits
• Mixed age couples functionality and advice
• Comparison with trigger figures
• Advice for disabled students on WCA
• Sliders change to show UC and legacy for earnings change
• Student grants for care leavers
• Kinship care allowance
• Care leavers allowance
• Flat-rate CTS non-dependant deductions
• Significant extension of nuances of local CTS schemes
• End of TV license information
• Childminder disregards

6. Updates continued 2/
• LHA rate changes for those recently in homeless hostel
• LHA rate change for ex-offenders
• Inclusion of student loan as household income
• Inclusion of new debt items
• Log in separation for different calculator versions
• Postcode retention with scenarios
• Extended print options
• Tax differences in Scotland
• Additional Scottish carers allowance
• Supplementary welfare support Northern Ireland
• Rate Relief and Rate Rebate Northern Ireland
• Applicable amounts for Wales
• Specific regional alerts

7. Demo and user interface changes
• Work sliders
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• Self serve
• Password

8. Work sliders

9. Scotland

10. Northern Ireland

11. 111111
Break
When we come back we’ll ask …
• What will help increase usage of the calculator in your teams?
• What development is on your wish list?
• What challenges do you expect to see in the next year?

12. The future: how can we help?
• What will help increase usage of the calculator in your teams?
• What development is on your wish list?
• What challenges do you expect to see in the next year?

13. Our current focus
• Improving the speed of calculations
• Improving the management Information
• Transitional Protection in readiness for managed migration pilot

14. Our development pipeline
• Costs of work
• UC claim screens
• irregular earnings
• Next month payment
• Triage to UC support
• Pre-tenancy
• CORE module
• Pre-tenancy form
• Enhanced user selection of features
• UC regulations
• Standard Financial Statement
• Actual/real
• Personalised alerts
• Guidance to abbreviations
• Visual impairment assistance
• Budget to include savings

15. Future developments
What should we focus on for our future development?
For example
• Layout and usability
• Advice and built in help
• Features and functionality

16. 161616
Thank you
• Feedback form
• Networking drinks in the pub
• Date of next steering group
0330 088 9242
hello@policyinpractice.co.uk
www.policyinpractice.co.uk