UC: The Enhanced Support Journey

As a result of the anticipated higher support needs and vulnerability of some groups that are due to migrate in 2024to 2025, we have introduced an enhanced support journey for households on Income Support and Employment and Support Allowance.

The enhanced support journey starts in week 12, before the deadline date. It involves different interventions ranging from outbound calls, system checks, home visits and contact with support organisations in the local community.

An outline of the enhanced support journey can be found below.

Summary of the diagram of the Enhanced Support Journey

Enhanced support journey steps:

1. SMS sent to customer: An SMS is sent to the customer to initiate contact.

2. 3 Outbound calls are made.

3. If the claimant is reached extra support is offered and pre termination checks carried out prior to deadline date to make a claim. A this point referral for a home visit might be made or a referral to a Complex Case Coach. If not, there will be pre termination checks carried out.

4. If the claimant is not reached.

5. Legacy system checks made for planned home visit.

6. An SMS is sent to the customer and deadline for claim is extended and a referral for a home visit is made.

If the visit fails a referral is made to a Complex Case Coach and a Case conference is carried out for a decision. If there is a safeguarding concern, there is a referral made to Advanced Customer Support team

SMS message and Outbound calling (starts in week 12)

During the conversation that the agent has with the customer, they identify if they have received the migration notice and if they plan to make a claim. Most individuals said they had received the migration notice. Most also planned to claim but very few yet had started their claim. This is reflected in the overall claim rates with households leaving it to later in the process and near to the deadline to make a claim.

For households where the outbound calling was unsuccessful (that is where they were unable to talk to us, someone else answered the call or no contact)

If we were unable to reach the customer by the outbound call, different approaches were taken depending on if they were on Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance. For those on Income Support, system checks were then conducted to establish the need for a home visit. All those on Employment and Support Allowance, were referred for a home visit. A household would then be notified by text message that they were being referred for a home visit. The household is then referred to the home visit team where they make 2 attempts to visit the customer’s address. An extension is applied to allow time for the visit to take place.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/move-to-universal-credit-insight-on-income-support-and-housing-benefit-and-initial-esa-cohort-activity/92772e21-ffab-4251-b6d3-483ec835c20c#the-enhanced-support-journey

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