Social Security Experience Panels: short-term assistance - report

Views and understanding of Short-term assistance information

Initial views on Short-term assistance

Participants across all focus groups were strongly in support of the idea of introducing Short-term assistance. They felt it would provide an important safety-net for people who rely on benefits as a significant part of their income. They felt it would help people to cope financially through the redetermination and appeals processes, and also make the process less stressful.

“Nothing in place at the moment so this is a good system, means nobody is left out to dry”.

“I was left 8 weeks at one point without my benefits so it would have helped me”.

Understanding what Short-term assistance offers

Participants were provided with an information sheet about Short-term Assistance (available in Annex A). After reading the information sheet some participants were confused about how Short-term assistance works or misinterpreted the information given.

Some participants queried which benefits would be affected by Short-term assistance – for example whether housing benefit or Employment Support Allowance (ESA) might be impacted. There was also some who questioned whether they would need to notify other agencies about a change of circumstance when they started or stopped receiving Sort-term assistance, for example if they were in receipt of another DWP benefit.

“It would be useful to have something in to advise whether you need to tell UC/ESA once stopped. You are legally obliged to let them know of your change of circumstance.”

Participants were informed that Short-term assistance will cover entitlement known as ‘passported’ benefits. This means Short-term assistance will protect any associated benefit that is covered by your local authority (e.g. when a person’s Personal Independence Payment benefit is going through redetermination, their blue badge would be protected). Some participants wanted more and clearer examples on passported benefits and asked to list things Short-term assistance does not cover.

“It would be useful to list things, make it clear about things that are covered and not”.

Some participants also questioned when you would be able to receive Short-term assistance – specifically that it would only be available for a change or stopping of benefits, and not at the initial application stage.

“It would take some pressure off foodbanks. Would also take away worry of doing an application worrying about what might happen, or how you are going to cope during an appeal”.

Some participants were unclear about the amount that you could receive from Short-term assistance, when you would receive that payment, and whether that would need to be repaid.

“There should be a letter saying when it starts, when it finishes, and that you don’t need to pay it back”.

“It should be told that you won’t be taking it back”.

Some also asked whether you could receive Short-term assistance if multiple benefits were stopped simultaneously. For example if a disability benefit and Carers Allowance were both stopped, could Short-term assistance cover both payments?

Participants were unclear about how long someone could receive Short-term assistance for, for example if an appeal processes lasted many months. A few participants were unfamiliar with the term “redetermination” mentioned in the information sheet.

“Words like redetermination some people don’t understand”.

They also questioned whether someone would need to re-apply for Short-term assistance if their redetermination was unsuccessful and they wished to take the decision to appeal.

“See when your reconsideration has happened and going to appeal do you have to reapply at that point or will it just happen?”.

Participants felt strongly about Social Security Scotland providing good clear communication to clients on Short-term assistance.

A few focus groups felt that providing a diagram or flow chart would help clients understand the reason for Short-term assistance and how to get it.

“People will ask why it’s not automatic. What about doing a flowchart so people know exactly what to do to get it? I have an aunt in her 80s but only got Attendance Allowance because her neighbour told her about it. She should have had that years ago”.

“What the whole process is from start to finish. A diagram would be good. This is where you are, if you are not given you can appeal, that sort of thing. Sometime paperwork is not easy to understand. It should be easy to read and understand”.

The name ‘Short-term assistance’

Some participants thought it was unclear from name ‘Short-term assistance’ that it is a payment and not another sort of support. It was suggested that it sounded like it was for practical or medical care, for example in the hospital. Participants felt that the name should state clearly what this payment is for.

“Doesn’t really tell you what it is”.

“Make sure it is finanical assistance, not practical, i.e. when I heard Short-term assistance my first thought was it is people needing short term care coming out of hospital or something, not a payment”.

“Make it clear that it is Short-term assistance with money. Assistance comes in many forms so needs to be clear that it is financial”.

Participants suggested a couple of words that could be included in the name to ensure people are clear what this payment is for. These include ‘grant’ or ‘temporary’.

“’Grant’ may be good in the name to reinforce that fact it is non-repayable”.

“As it’s for a certain amount of time, the word temporary should be added”.