Southwark Council Universal Credit Training – FREE
Southwark Council & Clean Slate are offering a free training opportunity for the voluntary and community sector, regarding the Move to Universal Credit.
This training, designed by Clean Slate in collaboration with Southwark Council, has been developed specifically to equip frontline workers with the knowledge and tools to navigate the complexities of Universal Credit.
The Move to Universal Credit will affect thousands of working age residents within Southwark. Therefore, we are appealing to our previous Community Referral Partners who we know have provided dedicated support to their communities during the Cost of Living Crisis. With this training, you will have the knowledge and skills to be able to advise or assist someone when making a claim for UC – or signpost them to other support available for Southwark residents
The training is free to attend.
The training will be available for VCS staff and volunteers and will be available on a first come-first serve basis. There are two sessions which are available:
- The online session – held on Thursday 5th September (09:30-13:00) and Friday 6th September (09:30-13:00). Book your place now.
- The in-person session – held on Thursday 12th September (09:30 – 4:00) at Southwark Council, 160 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QH. Book your place now. (Refreshments and lunch will be provided)
What is the Move to UC?
The UK Government is replacing six ‘legacy benefits’ with Universal Credit (UC). These legacy benefits are:
- Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
This roll-out is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
This will affect thousands of working-age residents within Southwark in a period of just a few months. The resident will be required to make a UC application by a certain date once they receive a Migration Notice. For all these households, Move to UC will be their first contact with a UC system that is unfamiliar and for which they may be ill-prepared.
If they do not apply for UC by the date specified, their legacy benefit will be terminated. In 2023-24, over a third of tax credit recipients who received a migration notice did not apply in time and saw their benefit payments terminated. Towards the end of this year, the largest cohort of legacy benefit claimants (ESA) are due to be migrated. This is a particularly vulnerable group who may face more challenges when making a UC claim. This is presents a critical risk, as those receiving ESA who do fail to make a claim may see themselves without any financial support.
What can you do to help?
Residents who will be required to make a UC application will be offered support via the DWP through reminders and regular contact. Yet we know that many will require additional support. Whether that be digital support with making an online application, help with language barriers or to understand the complex process and benefit jargon.
This training will allow VCS staff and volunteers to understand how to navigate UC applications, empowering frontline workers to guide claimants effectively and mitigate potential hardships. This support could potentially make a vast difference to our borough, especially with the ESA cohort of people who are long-term sick and disabled who are scheduled to migrate to UC at the end of this year.
Should you have any questions regarding the training, please do get in touch.
Contact email: Lauren.Stocks@southwark.gov.uk
