Inform & Advise

Introduction

Hi all

This is the first issue of Inform & Advise for about 4 weeks due to my period of furlough.  Things do seem to be settling down a bit now, so there is not the need to produce editions of Inform & Advise quite as frequently as we have been, so far during the pandemic.  We’re not going to return to the regular monthly production of Inform & Advise just yet.  We will be producing editions at least once a month but they may be more frequent if required. 

The TASO (Technical Advice Support Officer) team are also looking to return to something more like normal with their briefings.  The dedicated COVID-19 briefings will be updated when required but the TASOs will also be producing their regular monthly briefings on Benefits, Housing & Energy, Social Care and Health & Care.  These will be posted in the Essential Adviser Briefings & Guidance section of the I&A pages on the Loop.  The dedicated COVID-19 briefings will be posted on both the loop and Age UK COVID-19 online hub in the dedicated I&A hub.

The I&A Development Adviser team are taking advantage of the changes to the Government’s furlough scheme to change the arrangements of our furloughing.  From now on we will each be working for 3 days a week.  Mark Tomlinson; the Development Adviser for the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, the East Midlands, the Eastern region and Scotland, will be working Monday to Wednesday.  Mark Norris; the Development Adviser for the North West, the West Midlands and Wales, will be working Tuesday to Thursday.  Janice Davis; the Development Adviser for the South East, the South West, London and Northern Ireland, will be working Wednesday to Friday.

The previously mentioned guidance on advisers using online welfare benefit claims processes will be published within the next couple of weeks.  It has been delayed a little by my period of furlough but we now have confirmation from our Professional Indemnity insurers that they are willing to insure this type of work if the guidance produced by Age UK (national) is followed. 

Mark Tomlinson, Senior I&A Development Adviser

Please note: some items in the Briefings are not relevant for partners in Wales; these are marked up in the Briefings.

Updated resources for advisers

We have continued to update the template responses to common Coronavirus queries and since the last issue of Inform and Advise on the 9th of June we have:

• Removed the template on visiting or living with a vulnerable or extremely vulnerable person
• And added two new templates to cover the changes brought about due to the relaxation of lock-down.  These are the templates on Care Homes and Recent Government Guidance

To view the templates visit our wiki.  On the first screen of the wiki, under “SPACES” select “Age UK Advice” and then under “PAGE TREE” select “Coronavirus – template responses”.  NB: if you get a bit lost in the menus (which is easy to do) click on the Age UK logo in the top left and this will take you back to the first screen.

Liam has updated the ‘COVID-19 Benefits briefing’ to include:

• information on the suspension of reviews and reassessments; the requirement of a DS1500 form to support a benefit claim under the terminal illness rules; automatically extending PIP awards
• the Scottish Carer’s Allowance Coronavirus Supplement
• legacy benefit warning information in the Universal Credit online claim
• Statutory Sick Pay no longer being available to people on the basis of shielding from the 1st  of August
• reporting change of circumstances for Working Tax Credit
• and married women who may have lost out of State Pension entitlement from their husband

David has updated the ‘Changes to the Care Act 2014 under the Coronavirus Act 2020’ briefing to include:

• the reopening of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
• an update to include the revised care homes admissions guidance
• an update in line with revised and retitled direct payments guidance

Lottie has updated ‘COVID-19 Housing and energy updates’ to include:

• the extension of the ban on most eviction-related court action until 23 August 2020
• the extension of FCA mortgage ‘holiday’ arrangements to 31 October 2020
• updated guidance on carrying out work in other people’s homes and landlord repairs
• updated information on homelessness

The TASO COVID-19 briefings are also available on the Age UK COVID-19 online hub in the dedicated I&A hub.

New guidance for advisers on I&A delivery during the current pandemic

We have been busy at Age UK producing guidance for local Age UKs that are considering reinstating home visits or face-to-face appointments in their offices or at outreach venues.   As lock-down is beginning to ease, we know some partners are starting to consider how they can safely resume face-to-face I&A services – either through home visits or in a venue.  If your organisation has identified an essential need to deliver any of your I&A service face-to-face you can view our I&A face-to-face risk assessment here and Age UK’s more general guidance on operating services safely can be found here.

As the only truly safe way to deliver your I&A service at this time is to continue remote delivery (by phone or video call), we’ve also developed further guidance to assist you with this.  On our Age UK Coronavirus I&A Hub and the loop you can find:

• IT Requirements for Advisers Working from Home & Advising Clients Remotely- this guidance summarises the essential resources we would recommend your organisation considers for I&A staff to work as effectively as they can from home. We provide some key points on basic hardware essentials, software recommendations and a link to some extra OFCOM advice on working securely online, along with links to all of our online resources that we have been sharing re working remotely during the pandemic.
• Remote Working with Clients and Trusted Third Parties – this guidance describes key considerations on how you can safely involve third parties (e.g. family members, carers) in supporting your clients to engage digitally with your I&A service.

I&A enquiry code reporting deadline for quarter one of 2020/21

A huge thank you to those of you whose I&A teams were able to send in your enquiry code and benefits figures for the last quarter. 104 of you managed to find time amongst all the upheaval to do this and we’re really grateful that you could.

We know things are still busy for you and you’re having to work very differently, but we’re hoping that your I&A teams will be able to make time again to send in your next set of enquiry code and benefits figures. Please can you email your reports, covering Q1, to AdviceUnit@ageuk.org.uk by 5pm on Friday 17 July. Please click here for more details on how to do this.

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