Localisation and social security: a review
This Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) paper calls for all relevant government departments, together with devolved administrations where appropriate, to take a joint interest in the future development of localisation and to forge a stronger relationship in co-ordinating the agenda.
The shift towards the localisation of social security means that certain benefits are no longer just a matter for DWP. There are now local replacements for:
- Community Care Grants (CCGs) and Crisis Loans
- Council Tax Benefit (CTB)
- The Independent Living Fund (ILF)
There is also local flexibility within:
- The Jobcentre Plus Flexible Support Fund (FSF)
- Universal Credit
- The Work Programme.
The paper makes a number of recommendations and establishes five key principles for localisation which are that it should be:
- oriented to meeting the needs – and developing the capacity – of claimants;
- sustainable – that is to say, they should be appropriately resourced;
- consistent with minimum standards of both adequacy and quality;
- Localisation and Social Security: A Review
- designed and presented with clarity, accuracy and simplicity in mind; and clearly and transparently ‘owned’ by an appropriate authority.
SSAC recommend that these five principles be followed by the UK Government, the devolved administrations and all local authorities in the appraisal, development and application of the localisation of social security.