About the course

This course aims to help staff to ensure that tenants and people in housing need get the best deal out of the benefits system.  It will explore benefit entitlements in common situations, highlighting ways to increase claims or defend current income, in a changing era of "welfare-to-work".

Focus Courses aim to provide an in-depth study of a topic and are therefore not suitable for those who are new to the service, or have no background knowledge of the topic. The course assumes prior knowledge of the benefits system

Course content

• Updated benefit rules when unemployed, on government schemes, working, studying, sick or disabled, a carer, or a single parent
• Special attention to claiming problems and dealing with 'Work Focused' interviews, 'sanctions' and hardship - so maintaining Housing Benefit claims
• Special attention to the detailed disability and incapacity assessments, premiums and appeals
• The latest on all the changing welfare programmes, including changes in claiming arrangements, Jobcentre Plus, the New Deals, and the 'Pathways to Work' pilots and proposed changes to incapacity-based benefits, due in 2008
• Evaluation

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course participants will:

• List key ways for tenants and people in housing need to get the best out of the benefits system
• Understand the latest procedures for claims and the ways provisions and responsibilities are changing
• Identity key benefit issues quickly with tenants and people in housing need