Deven Ghelani was invited to talk about the effectiveness of Universal Credit and the social policies introduced in the light of COVID-19 at this conference by Public Policy Exchange on Thursday 1 October 2020. He joined speakers Debbie Abrahams MP, Steve McCabe MP, Dr Sophie Wickham and Dr Guy Standing. For more information visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk, email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call 0330 088 9242.

1. Policy in Practice How data analytics helps
councils look to recovery
Thursday 1 October 2020
Deven Ghelani

2. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
I became interested in social security and benefits after being
made unemployed in 2008. I saw how the welfare system
works in this country.
It’s complicated, confusing and changing all the time, with
complex interactions with other part of the system.
I was part of the team that developed Universal Credit, and left
the policy world because, while you need legislation to change
people’s lives, how you communicate it that matters to people.
Deven Ghelani, my story

3. Agenda
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Social security since COVID-19
● Parallel welfare systems
The outlook for Universal Credit
● How much can people get, and how do they apply?
● Who misses out, and what can they do?
Making a difference today
● Policy: Austerity, UBI and COVID-19 support
● Practice: How you can make a difference to your residents today

4. analytics
policy
software
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Give the best support
you can to help people
on their way

5. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
By June 2020 DWP received over 3.2 million
individual declarations to Universal Credit. That’s 2.6m
households, 1.1m advance payments.
By August 9.6 million people were on furlough
2.6 million people claimed SEIS, worth £7.5bn
Since April 750,000 people have lost their job (OBR)
This could rise by up to 960,000 by October (10% of
furloughed people). The number requiring support
through benefits is likely to increase
The policy context: Why this matters to you

6. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Support and help is available
1. Job Support Scheme
(furlough scheme)
2. Self employment scheme
3. Social security and Universal
Credit
4. Emergency provision for
those who are missing out
www.policyinpractice.co.uk/coronavirus

7. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
1. Job support scheme
Announced 24 September. Starts 1 November 2020 for 6 months
● Employers can claim from December 2020 and paid on a monthly basis.
● Employee must be on PAYE payroll on or before 23 September 2020.
● Employee must work at least 33% of their usual hours but not same hours each month
● For every hour not worked by the employee, the Government and employer will pay a
third each of usual hourly wage. Government contribution capped at £697.92 a month.
● Employees earn a minimum of 77% of their normal wages (except where the
Government contribution has been capped)

8. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
2. Self-employed Income Support scheme
● Similar scheme for self-employed - Government paying 20% of monthly profits as a
grant
● This used to pay 80% of monthly profits, with self-employed trading profits < £50,000 in
2018/19 and self-employment is > 50% of taxable income
This would often exclude:
● People who paid themselves through dividends
● People whose incomes were supplemented by the benefit system (e.g. with Tax Credit
income, or carers allowance making up 50%+ of their income

9. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
3. Social Security System & Universal Credit
● Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
● Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
● Income Support (IS)
● Housing Benefit
● Child Tax Credit
● Working Tax Credit and Childcare Tax Credit
Legacy system
● Universal Credit
Universal Credit
● Contributory JSA / ESA ● New style JSA / ESA
● Council Tax Reduction
● Free School Meals
● Social Tariffs
● Emergency welfare provision
● Council Tax Reduction
● Free School Meals
● Social Tariffs
● Emergency welfare provision

10. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
How the schemes differ

11. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
How much you might receive

12. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Groups who need personal advice
● People with savings or assets above £16,000
● People with a partner in work
● People in receipt of tax credits or legacy ESA
● Households where someone is self-employed
● Non-UK nationals, No Recourse to Public Funds

13. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Look out for other support

14. We need a combination of policy
changes and practical action to help
support residents
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

15. The key issues for local authorities
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

16. Mapped onto household level
administrative datasets across the UK
Admin data is the future of social policy
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Our analytics models policy across
multiple government departments

17. Model the local impact of national
policy changes
See the impact of each policy
independently and all policies
combined
Eg. Council Tax Support schemes
Analyse the impact of policy
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

18. Identify who needs help
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
35,000 low income families in
Croydon
43 households in debt, struggling
financially and worse off in future

19. This family can save money on
heating
They’re £600 a month better off
in work
They’re better off on Universal
Credit
Engage with tailored support
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

20. Track the effectiveness of interventions
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Track the impact of interventions on individuals or cohorts of households, act early to prevent
people from falling into poverty

21. Luton Council plans to use data for recovery
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Clive Jones
Head of Revenues and Benefits
Luton Borough Council

22. What local authorities are already doing
www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Haringey Boosts Carers Incomes through
pension credit takeup
www.policyinpractice.co.uk/case-studies
ReImagine Debt reduce arrears and
improves outcomes

23. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
● Retain the £20 / week uplift to Universal Credit and tax credits, keep LHA rates at the
30th percentile and suspend the minimum income floor
● Suspend the savings limit within Universal Credit, so Universal Credit acts as a form of
‘basic income’
● End the two child limit, suspend the benefit cap or raise the limit to £29,312 per year
(the same level as the job support scheme) to limit the impact on homelessness
● Make Universal Credit more flexible, specifically the claim process, habitual residency
test, payment frequency, treatment of earnings and assistance from advice sector
… but you also need policy changes

24. Thank you
Deven Ghelani
Director and founder
deven@policyinpractice.co.uk
07863 560677
betteroffcalculator.co.uk
policyinpractice.co.uk
www.policyinpractice.co.uk