Introduction to benefits

This course is an absolute must for new entrants to benefits, including customer services staff and is an excellent refresher course for more experienced staff. This course is also very suitable to local authorities which are striving to achieve a multidisciplinary workforce. Suitable for HB/CTB assessors, customer services officers, visiting officers and multi-disciplined officers.

Duration: 6 days

This course has proven to be a most effective induction course for benefits staff. The course covers all areas of HB/CTB legislation and administrative best practice, including local housing allowance, rent allowance, overpayments and fraud awareness, plus an overview of council tax law. The course is supported by group discussion, practical exercises at the end of each module and desk aids. In addition to this, an informal assessment using the LA’s own standard forms and stationery will be carried out by each delegate.

Learning outcome

At the end of this course new entrants will have a comprehensive understanding of the benefit scheme, with an in-depth knowledge in many areas. Those with greater existing knowledge at the outset will find their knowledge is enhanced and will leave the course feeling more confident and able to deal with more complex areas of work. All delegates who attend will be able to manually process Rent Rebate, Rent Allowance, Local Housing Allowance and Council Tax benefits claims.

Further training recommended

Subsequent to this course, delegates can enhance their knowledge/skills level in more complex processing areas including: overpayments, student claims, self-employed claims, backdating and decision making, subsidy and assessment related issues, persons from abroad, appeals and fraud.

 

Day one

Introduction to course

Overview of state benefits scheme

  • Means tested/non-means tested benefits
  • Basic rules for claiming benefits, Tax Credits and Pension Credit
  • Help and advice for claimants
  • Sources of information
  • Exercise

Making a claim

  • The application form
  • Customer Management System
  • When and where claims may be made
  • Pensioner claims
  • Exercise

Date of claim

  • Standard claims
  • Passport claims
  • New liability
  • Entitlement date
  • Backdating
  • Exercise

 

Day two

Eligibility to claim

  • Liability to pay rent
  • Persons treated as not liable to pay
  • Occupation as a home
  • Benefits on two homes
  • Absence from home
  • Exercise

Rent

  • Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance?
  • Liability to pay rent
  • Eligible / ineligible services
  • Maximum rent
  • Rent Restrictions
  • Rent officer determinations
  • Size criteria
  • Broad rental market areas
  • Applying the LHA
  • Payment on Account
  • Exercise

Council Tax

  • Overview of liability, billing and collection
  • Maximum Council Tax Benefit
  • Second Adult Rebate
  • Exercise 

 

Day three

Household and applicable amounts

  • Household composition
  • Civil partnerships
  • Applicable amounts
  • Non-dependants and deductions
  • Exercise

Capital

  • What is capital?
  • Tariff income
  • Valuation of capital
  • Pensioners
  • Exercise

Income

  • Income support and JSA(IB)
  • Unearned income
  • Pension and tax credits
  • Earnings and disregards
  • Self employed income and students – basic rules
  • Childcare costs
  • Exercise

 

Day four

Evidence and supporting information

  • Interventions
  • Identity and NI number
  • Evidence of income, rent, changes of circumstance, etc.
  • How evidence is requested
  • Exercise

Calculation of benefits

  • Calculation Housing Benefit
  • Calculation of Local Housing Allowance
  • Calculating Council Tax Benefit
  • Calculating Second Adult Rebate
  • Exercise

 

Day five

Payment of benefits

  • Payment of HB / LHA
  • How we pay
  • Who we pay
  • 8 weeks arrears and disputes
  • Advance or arrears payments
  • Safeguards for LHA claimants
  • Deductions from payments
  • Shortfall of benefit
  • Discretionary housing payments
  • Suspension and stopping payments
  • Exercise

Change in circumstances

  • Revision/Supersession
  • Change of address / liability frequency / rental amount
  • Death of claimant
  • Starting work and extended payments
  • Non-dependents
  • LHA changes
  • Pensioner rules
  • Exercise

 

Day six

Overpayments of benefit

  • Period and calculation of overpayment
  • Classifying the overpayment
  • Underlying entitlement and offsetting
  • Recoverability and choosing from whom to recover
  • How to recover overpayments
  • Exercise

Exercises (informal assessment)

  • Exercises based on LA claim forms, NHB forms and rent officer determinations

Decisions, notifications and appeals

  • What, who, how to notify
  • What to include in notification letter
  • Disputes and reconsiderations
  • Appeals