Citizens Advice Bedford



-144145349250Bedford020000Bedford-234315-42926000THE STATE OF BEDFORD 2017Citizens Advice BedfordResearch & CampaignsAuthor: Charles LeslieForewordCAB is the recognised advice agency in Bedford Borough; the Citizens Advice brand is widely recognised and trusted at national and local level. It is recognised as an organisation that provides good quality advice without charge to anyone in need. CAB benefits from staff and volunteers who are well trained, enthusiastic and committed. As well as benefiting from nationally provided knowledge and reference sources, they also have specialist local knowledge which is valuable to clients.Citizens Advice Bedford saw a total of 8,694 unique clients with 7,538 enquiries and had 26,757 contacts with, or on behalf of, these clients. In addition we responded to 1,738 emails and with the new local advice telephone service received 3,287 telephone calls. The first step in leading any community is to understand the issues it faces and the concerns and problems of the families and individuals that make up that community, In short Bedford’s community leaders need to know the Borough and be able to work together to address its challenges. We have produced this report specifically to help in this process.This paper builds on an earlier report and draws on Citizens Advice Bedford (CAB) casework data for 2016 to provide a picture of the main problems facing the borough’s residents as experienced by our volunteers and staff. We do not claim that they are representative: a similar report from a children’s charity, for example, may highlight a different set of issues reflecting their own area of focus. The problems and concerns are however real and can have a significant impact on the families and households affected. I want to thank Charles Leslie, Research & Campaign volunteer for his hard work in producing a well research and balanced report into the state of Bedford. Mark Sutcliffe MBEChief Executive ContentsPageForewordiContentsiiIntroduction1The CAB Workload2The Client Base4Issues & Concerns9Benefits10Debt12Other Issues & Developments15Universal Credit15Homelessness15Conclusions18AppendicesTables of Data19Bedford Wards29Bedford Areas of Deprivation30Tables from CAB Trends Report July/Sept 2016311Introduction1.1The original Citizen’s Advice Bedford (CAB) report The State of Bedford was published in May 2015 to coincide with the Bedford Borough Council’s four yearly elections. Copies were sent to the elected Mayor and all councillors. It presented a picture of Bedford and the issues its citizens face using CAB data for the period Jan – Dec 2014.1.2The picture then was that:a)While CAB clients came from all wards in the Borough, Cauldwell and Harpur wards alone accounted for nearly a quarter and these plus the Castle, Goldington, Kingsbrook and Queens Park wards provide over a half of all issues and clients. This picture of high demand from these few wards correlated closely with the pattern of deprivation in Bedford. b)The main issues were to do with Benefits & Tax Credits, Debt, Employment, and Housing. There are clear links between these - many of the Debt issues concerned rent arrears and Housing Benefit is the largest single benefit issue. Those of the Bedford CAB clients who are in Employment tend to be in low paid jobs and/or part-time work. c)Overall the picture was of a small but significant proportion of the Borough’s population that had difficulty coping with the situations they find themselves in, either generally because of some long-term disadvantage or vicious cycle; or temporarily because of some change in their circumstances. Most of this, in one form or another, comes down to a lack of money either because They do not know how to claim what they are entitled to. They cannot manage the money they have.They are in poorly paid jobs.They have so little money they have to make impossible choices (e.g. between rent, fuel or food)1.3The purpose of this report is to compare 2016 with 2014 to see what, if anything, has changed for the people of Bedford over the past two years.2.The CAB Workload2.1The workload for CAB can be measured in “Contacts”: each time a member of staff (paid or volunteer) sees or contacts a client about an issue is counted as a Contact. This can be in a number of ways (e.g. telephone, e-mail, face-to-face) and at one of three levels:Daysheet: a simple information request that can be dealt with immediately by the receptionist or telephonistGateway Assessment: An initial interview to identify the client’s issue, assess their need and either provide advice or refer them on to an adviser if the issue is more complex.Enquiry: More complicated issues that may require a number of contacts with the client and other parties involved over a period of time.2.2As can be seen in Chart A below, although there has been little change in the overall number of Contacts (an increase of just 6%) there has been a significant change in the level of contacts. At the Enquiry level there has been a significant shift (around 10%) from Third Party contacts to the Client. At the other levels of Contact there has been an even greater shift, nearly 25%, from Gateway to Daysheets suggesting that staff are getting better at identifying and addressing these simpler information requests saving both client and staff time. Chart A: Contacts by level of Work20142016Total%Total%Enquiry ContactsClient19,31880.0923,57991.653rd Party4,80219.911,6996.60Total24,120100.0025,728100.00Gateway & DaysheetGateway6,22597.115,16775.04Daysheet1852.891,71924.96Total6,410100.006,886100.00All Contacts30,530?32,614?For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 12.3There has also been a change in the methods or channels used for Contacts. The proportion of Face-to-Face contact has dropped with a higher use of the telephone, probably linked to the development of the phone service over the past few years. Interestingly there has also been a drop in e-mail, possibly again linked to the development of the phone service, but an increase in the use of letters/mail.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 22.4Although the number of Contacts has gone up, and the number of Client contacts has also increased, the actual number of Clients over the year has remained similar. The reduction in those being dealt with at the Gateway or Enquiry level (i.e. requiring an interview) has been explained in para 2.2 above and those with on-going issues has remained fairly constant, suggesting that cases are becoming more complex and/or clients are requiring more support, hence the increase in Contacts. For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 32.5To summarise, there has been a small increase in CAB’s workload between 2014 and 2016 in terms of number of Contacts, and a higher proportion of these are with clients rather than third parties. Given there has been no increase in the overall number of clients, the conclusion is that cases have become more complex with clients requiring more support. On the other hand better use of telephone and changes in the handling of information requests in Reception is reducing the need for face-to-face interviews at the Gateway level. 3The Client Base3.1Although actual Client number have not changed significantly, changes in work practices within CAB, in particular the greater use of Daysheets to record simple information requests, means that some client information is no longer recorded as much as it was in 2014. This will affect any comparison of actual figures.3.2There has been a small shift the gender balance of the client base over the two years. In 2014 there was an even split between male and female clients which broadly reflects the National Office of Statistics profile. In 2016 this had shifted to 58% female clients and 42% male (see Appendix A Table 5).3.3There has been no change in the age profile (see Chart 4 below). Compared to the Bedford population as a whole, CAB clients are most likely to be of working age and more likely to be at the younger end of this range. People of retirement age are underrepresented in the client base compared to the wider population. This pattern is probably a reflection of when people are facing the most pressure in terms of employment, housing, finance and family which is when they are likely to seek CAB a and support.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 43.4The ethnic mix of the client base is also broadly unchanged as summarised in Chart 5 below (for a detailed breakdown see Appendix A Table 7). 71% of clients in 2014 were White with the majority (59%) being White and British. In 2016 these figures were 70% and 56% respectively. The other ethnic groups show very little change either.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 73.5There has been a slight shift in the profile of Disabled clients. While the overall numbers have not changed much (see Chart 6) there has been some change in the pattern of the nature of the disability (see Chart 7). As a proportion of disabled clients there has been a significant increase in those with a non-sensory physical impairment, from 23% in 2014 to 27% in 2016. This may be due to changes in the benefits system. The drop in non-disabled clients shown in Chart 6 is balanced by an increase in those whose status is Unknown/Withheld and probably simply reflects a change in recording associated with the increase in the use of Daysheets discussed in Section 2.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 6For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 63.6Predictably over 93% of clients came from within Bedford Borough, the next largest group is from Central Bedfordshire and then other neighbouring councils (see Chart 8 below). Given CAB practice about referring people to their local Citizens Advice offices, this pattern probably reflects people’s work, shopping and travel patterns. For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 83.7The 2015 report divided the Borough into three broad geographic areas: the urban wards of Bedford Town; the largely rural areas to the North and East; a semi-urban area covering Kempston and the South of the Borough. These are shown in Appendix B. Allowing for instances of rural poverty, the main areas of deprivation in Bedford are concentrated in a few wards around the town centre. Castle, Cauldwell and Harpur have neighbourhoods that are amongst the 10% most deprived areas in the country with Kingsbrook and Goldington have areas amongst the 10-20% most deprived (see Appendix C). Additionally the Queens Park ward has significant areas amongst the 20-30% most deprived. In 2014 these six wards accounted for over half of all CAB clients and Cauldwell and Harpur alone nearly a quarter. The report also compared client numbers to the adult population in each ward and commented that these six wards had the highest client/population ratios, ranging from 1:18 to 1:10. The average across Bedford Borough as a whole was 1:23For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 93.8Chart 10 below compares the client numbers for 2014 and 2016 by ward where known. As can be clearly seen, although actual numbers have dropped (due to changes in data capture and greater use of Daysheets) the overall pattern is very similar with the six most deprived wards clearly dominating the client base. This dominance is more apparent if the wards are grouped into the Town, Kempston & South and North & East areas discussed previously (see Chart 9 above).3.9CAB’s clients equate to about 5% of the Borough’s overall adult population. Overall there has been little change in the Client profile between 2014 and 2016, the same groups and areas of need continue to be reflected in the CAB Client base. This is hardly surprising given there has been little change in the wider political direction and economic environment during this time.3.10The CAB Advice Trends Report (published in Jan 2017) commented on the Client profile for the July/ Sept period of 2016 – the second quarter. It provides some useful additional data on client households, employment and income:Housing & Households : Of those whose details were recorded:67% lived in rented accommodation (27% with private landlords) and 13% were homeless or in some form of temporary accommodation (incl. staying with family or friends).43% had dependent children – 23% of clients were single parents and 20% were couples with dependent children. 64% of clients were single people with or without dependent childrenEmployment & IncomeOver a third (36%) were unemployed and 18% were in part-time work (less than 30hrs per wk.) while 24% were in full-time employment30% of clients had an income of less than ?400 per month. The average UK household income is ?2,300 per month: only 4% of clients earned this or more.For the full data from the Trends report see Appendix D.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 93.11Based on all this data the typical CAB client in 2016 is likely to be a white British man or woman of working age (most likely 25 – 40yrs) with no disability or long-term health issue, single, with or without children and living in rented accommodation within the town of Bedford. He/She is unlikely to be in full-time employment and will have a monthly income of ?600-?700 (compared to the national average of ?2,300). 4Issues and Concerns4.1Clients present multiple issues. For example a client presenting a Debt problem may have three different types of Debt, each of which would be recorded as an issue. If, as is often the case, there are also concerns about their Benefit entitlement these too would be recorded as separate issues. Furthermore Issues are recorded at three levels:The main issue area: e.g. Benefits, Debt, HousingThe main focus within that area: e.g. the type of benefit (Universal Credit, Housing Benefit), nature of the debt (Rent Arrears, Credit Card)The nature of the question or problem: e.g. questions of Eligibility for a BenefitTo avoid the risk of double counting clients this section is concerned with the number and range of issues CAB helps with rather than the number of clients. As such it presents a picture of the problems and concerns people have.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 104.2Overall the number of issues CAB deals with increased by 10% between 2014 and 2016. In 2014 the most common issues concerned Debt and Benefits & Tax Credits, together these accounted for over half (60%) of all issues presented (see Chart 11a above and Appendix A Table 10). The next most common were Employment, Housing and Family & Relationships. This is still the case now but while most have remained fairly static or fallen, Benefits issues have increased by over 40% since 2014. This is more apparent when looking at the percentage change shown in Chart 11b.Benefits & Tax Credits4.3This increase has not been uniform across all Benefits. Chart 12 below shows that while there has been an increase in the three main issues compared to 2014 (Employment Support Allowance 28%; Housing Benefit 17%; Working & Child Tax Credits 33%) and a more than doubling of issues involving Personal Independence payments (PIP) Council Tax Reductions and Child benefit cases, these showed an increase of 194%, 130% and 109% respectively. For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 114.4It is likely that some of these increases are due to people needing help given the changes in the Benefits system, notably the various Benefit Caps and the introduction of the “Bedroom Tax”. The increase in PIP cases for example almost certainly links to its replacement of the Disabled Living and the re-testing of claimants’ disabilities and chronically illnesses. As can be seen in Chart 13a below, all the main issues around PIP have seen an increase over the 2014-2016 period with questions of Eligibility continuing to be the main concern. In Child Benefit, on the other hand, (see Chart 13b) the increase has been almost entirely in questions about Eligibility and Entitlement. For Council Tax Reduction the increase has been mostly in issues around the entitlement of those of working age (see Chart 13c). For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 124.5These increases are also reflected in the number of clients. The overall number of clients seeking advice on Benefits as a whole fell by 5%, from 1,974 in 2014 to 1,875 in 2016 (see Appendix A Table 13). However the numbers seeking support around these three specific Benefits more than doubled in number and significantly increased as a percentage of all Benefits clients (see Chart 14 below): in 2016 Council Tax reductions and PIP each accounted for over a fifth of all Benefits Clients compared to less than a tenth each in 2014. The increase in the number of Issues shown in Chart 12 above is not the result of the same number of people needing more help and therefore generating more issues: there are more people requiring advice and support in these specific areas.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 13Patterns of Debt4.6The other major area with regards to Issues and concerns is Debt. Although the overall number of Debt issues has remained fairly constant (see Chart 11a & 11b above), again the pattern of the issues within the broad heading have changed, the most significant of these can be seen in Chart 15 above, while Chart 16 below shows the percentage change. As can be seen the overall number of Debt cases has hardly changed at all while those related to Magistrates fines and Telephone/Broadband debts, both major areas in 2014 have dropped by over 50%. On the other hand debts due to overpayments of Housing and Council Tax benefits have significantly increased. Of possible greater concern is the increase in debt due to rent arrears to Housing Associations and Council Tax both of which have increased by over 50%, possibly due to the introduction of the “Bedroom Tax”. Arrears to Private Landlords has also increased by a third (see Appendix A Table 14). Despite the increase in Benefits issues, Debts due to benefit overpayments have largely dropped - except for overpayments of Working and Child tax Credits.For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 14For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 14For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 134.7The number of clients with debt issues has also dropped overall, though the four main Debt areas also show a rise corresponding to the increase in issues. Overall the number of Debt issues per Debt client has remained the same at roughly 3.9 issues per client.4.8It is difficult to attribute Debt directly to the reported issue. The question is how the individual chooses to spend their available income and which areas they allow the debt to develop. The increase in rent arrears to Housing Associations may be because this is perceived to be a better option than going into debt with, for example, gas and electricity providers. All we can really say is that Debt continues to be a major issue for a significant proportion of Bedford’s citizens and the changing pattern is a reflection of which bills they decide to give priority to. 5Other Issues & DevelopmentsUniversal Credit5.1Universal Credit is a new benefit introduced in 2015 to replace Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working & Child Tax credits, Jobseekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance. However its introduction has been very gradual with only new cases for specific groups going onto it, others have continued to go on the older benefit systems. The main roll-out is due in May 2017. The overall number of clients and issues is thus still very low, but is enough to give some indication of its possible impact. For full breakdown see Appendix A Table 155.2Chart 18 above shows the main types of issues around Universal Credit. Although it is too early in the process to be definitive about the impact of Universal Credit one interesting aspect of the pattern of issues is that the single biggest concerns is Making and Managing a Claim - for all the other benefit areas the main concerns are about Eligibility & Entitlement. One problem is that Universal Credit payments are adjusted month by month to take account of an individual’s earnings, but it relates to earnings in the previous four/six weeks. This may not be an issue for those on a regular, if low, income but for people on zero hours contracts or with more casual employment patterns it can create problems as their weekly or monthly income can vary widely and their benefit payments will also vary according to their pay in the previous period. They may also be penalised for not informing the Department of changes in their employment or income. All this can make it difficult to keep to a regular budget and may explain why managing a claim is such an issue.Homelessness5.3On 25th February 2016The Department for Communities and Local Government released the autumn 2015 figures for rough sleeping. These showed that, compared to 2014, there had been a 30% increase of rough sleepers across England as a whole with a 38% increase in the Eastern region. Bedford Borough itself reported 51 rough sleepers: an increase of 104% over the previous year. Compared to all other councils across England, Bedford was listed as having the eighth highest number of sleepers.5.4In an attempt to get behind these numbers and to construct a fuller picture of the Homeless in Bedford, CAB conducted a survey consisting of three elements:A qualitative survey of a sample of rough sleepers in Bedford town centre conducted on the evening of Tuesday 8th March 2016An analysis of the Enquiries handled by Citizens Advice Bedford (CAB) during May 2016 when staff were specifically asked to check the housing status of clientsAn analysis of the Enquiries handled by CAB during January- April 20165.5Of the rough sleepers approached about half were willing to talk to the interviewers, the 9 interviews equates to just over 17% of Bedford’s rough sleepers, as such it can be used to create a picture of this group of Bedford’s homeless people. The most dominating factors appeared to be mental health and family breakdown.All the interviewees were White British and all but one were Male. There was some variation in age, though most were aged 26-40Some, but by no means all, had health issues and most of these were mental health or behavioural conditions rather than physical illnesses or disabilitiesDespite concern in the past about ex-service personnel and the problems of adjusting to civilian life, none of the interviewees had served in the Armed ForcesMost had a link to Bedford: five had lived here prior to being homeless and three others had family connections elsewhere in the county or the bordering areas. Only one had no connection at all with the area.5.6During May 2016 CAB interviewed 174 clients at the Enquiry level, of these 5.75% (10 clients) were identified as homeless with most staying with friends or relativesThe issues presented were mainly around access to Benefits or various forms of Debt: only one client had a different sort of issue which related to residential careUnlike the rough sleepers, this was a much more mixed group both in terms of Gender and Ethnicity: half were male and half female; seven were White or White British with the other three being Black or Asian BritishHowever, like the rough sleepers most (9 out of the 10) were British/UK nationals (the other being Italian). Chart 19 above compares the two samples. What is perhaps most telling is that only one of the ten was in a relationship (co-habiting), of the others two were divorced and seven single. This suggest that, like the rough sleepers, family or relationship breakdown is a factor in homelessness. A further similarity with the rough sleepers is the high proportion (60%) reporting mental health issues or learning difficulties suggesting that this too is a key factor. It also suggests that female homeless are more likely to be offered shelter by friends or family.5.7Chart 20 below is an analysis of clients during January to April 2016. It shows that about two thirds of those identified as homeless are staying with friends or relatives showing that this is by far the most common way of finding shelter.Chart 20: Homeless Clients by Housing Type (Jan-April 2016)Housing TypeNo%Homeless (incl B&B)56.25Hostel69.38Other1520.31Staying with Relatives/Friends (Paying Rent)1417.19Staying with Relatives/Friends (Rent Free)3243.75Staying with relatives / friends arr, unknown23.13TOTAL64?6Conclusions: The State of Bedford6.1Looking at things from the perspective of Citizens Advice Bedford, the state of Bedford has not improved over the period 2014-2016 and in some ways it has got worse. Although the overall number of clients has not changed significantly there has been a 10% increase in the number of issues dealt with and a 6% increase in the number of “contacts”, suggesting that those who come to CAB need more advice and support than before.6.2The profile of CAB clients has not changed with most coming from the same six wards in Bedford town. These coincide with the areas of greatest deprivation. The typical client is likely to be:a white British man or woman of working age (most likely 25 – 40yrs) with no disability or long-term health issue, single, with or without children and living in rented accommodation within the town of Bedford. He/She is unlikely to be in full-time employment and will have a monthly income of ?600-?7006.3Benefits and Debt continue to be the main issues CAB is presented with. However the type of issue has changed within these: Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Council Tax Reductions for those in work have seen the biggest increase. Employment Support Allowance and Housing Benefit continue to be a major area of concern for people. In Debt there has been a rise in rent arrears to Housing Associations and Council Tax. It is likely that the increasing focus on Benefits in the workload is due to the changes in the Benefit system, notably the introduction of PIP, the Benefits Cap and the “Bedroom Tax”. It is possible that these developments are also causing the changes in the pattern of Debt6.4The wider introduction of Universal Credit during the course of 2017 or may not cause an increase in cases but there are suggestions that it will shift the balance of work with an increasing need to help people manage their claims, possibly as an on-going requirement.6.5There are indications that homelessness is on the increase with a significant number of people being accommodated in one way or another by family and friends rather than going into hostels, B&Bs or sleeping rough.6.6The overall picture is that there is a body of Bedford’s citizens struggling to cope on a low income. Not all of these are entirely dependent upon benefits, some will be in part-time and/or low-paid employment. Although this group does not appear to be getting larger, the increase in Benefits Issues and the shift in patterns of Debt, suggests that they are finding it harder to cope.APPENDIX A: TABLES OF DATATable 1 CAB Workload: Contacts by Nature of ContactEnquiry Contacts By Work type20142016ClientThird PartyTotalClientThird PartyTotalFace to Face2,955763,0311,679211,700Phone call3,9001,8895,7894,4061,1795,585Letter 12,3142,70415,01817,40341217,815Email1491332829187178Total19,3184,80224,12023,5791,69925,278Gateway and Daysheet Contacts by channel20142016GatewayDaysheetTotalGatewayDaysheetTotalFace to Face4,7151674,8822,9941,5534,547Adviceline Phone76379301747Telephone31213131,4811241,605Letter/Mail808404Email1,114141,12865825683Total6,2251856,4105,1671,7196,886Table 2: CAB Workload: Contacts by ChannelTotal Contacts by channel20142016ClientThird PartyCasework PrepTotalClientThird PartyCasework PrepTotalFace to Face7,83776117,9246,2262146,251Adviceline Phone790079470047Telephone4,2131,88986,1106,0111,1792037,393Letter/Mail12,3222,70473215,75817,40741275918,578Email1,277133671,477774872863Total25,7284,80281831,34830,4651,69996833,132% of All82.0715.322.61100.0091.955.132.92100.00Table 3: Clients SeenClient Numbers% of AllClients 2014Clients 2016% 2014% 2016Clients with a new gateway ?or enquiry6,5624,92593%71%Clients helped with ongoing enquiries3273175%5%Daysheet records (proxy for a client)1851,7193%25%Total clients seen in the period7,0746,961100%100%Table 4: Clients by Age Group?Clients 2014Clients 2016Bedford PopulationAge ProfileNo%No%No.%0-4502011,06975-9000010,774610-1400109,766615-1918065110,280620-24409633079,482625-29789125411110,009630-34846135901211,075735-39804126081210,950740-44669104921011,395745-49691115451112,280750-54648105171011,855755-594968413810,059660-64411631468,615565-69256419448,862570-74166310926,503475-7913129625,194380-8410027014,015285-894815612,628290-942602001,441195-997090??100-1041020??Not Recorded553?1,987???Total7,074?6,961?166,252?Total 15yrs and over134,643Source: National Office of Statistics Mid 2015 estimateTable 5: Clients by GenderClients 2014Clients 2016Bedford populationGenderNo%No%No%Female3,35650%2,98858%8,418249%Male3,42050%2,17842%8,207051%Trans10%50%Unknown\Not Recorded297?1,790?Total7,074100%6,961100%166,252Table 6: Clients by DisabilityClients 2014Clients 2016DisabilityNo%No%Disabled54310%57214%Long-term health condition70913%50212%Not disabled/no health problems4,36578%3,01674%Unknown/withheld1,456?2,870?Not recorded/not applicable1?1?Total7,074100%6,961100%Nature of DisabilityClients%Clients%Cognitive Impairment121%91%Deaf30%40%Hearing Impairment202%232%Learning Difficulty857%656%Mental Health27722%23122%Physical Impairment (non-sensory)28223%28727%Visual Impairment272%242%Long-Term Health Condition28923%22721%Multiple Impairments554%575%Other Disability or Type Not Given20216%14714%Not recorded/not applicable5,822?5,887?Total7,074100%6,961100%Table 7: Clients by Ethnic OriginClients 2014Clients 2016Ethnic OriginNo%No%Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi1873%1343%Asian or Asian British - Chinese170%120%Asian or Asian British - Indian3235%2666%Asian or Asian British - Other871%561%Asian or Asian British - Pakistani1803%1163%Black or Black British - African3025%2425%Black or Black British - Caribbean2935%1864%Black or Black British - Other841%762%Mixed - Other791%311%Mixed - White & Asian381%351%Mixed - White & Black African461%321%Mixed - White & Black Caribbean1452%1072%White - British3,62456%2,45254%White - English1072%591%White - Irish791%371%White - Northern Irish30%00%White - Scottish70%80%White - Welsh10%10%White - Other80312%64114%White - Gypsy or Irish Traveller70%00%Other - Any Other711%631%Other - Arab80%70%Declined to Reply63?49?Unknown334?631?Not recorded/not applicable186?1,720?Total7,074100%6,961100%Table 8: Clients by Council AreaLocal AuthorityClients 2014Clients 2016% of all Known 2014% of all Known 2016Bedford Borough5,3804,60490.9793.58Central Bedfordshire2741694.633.43Luton38160.640.33Milton Keynes33220.560.45East Northamptonshire19190.320.39Huntingdonshire1610.270.02Peterborough830.140.06East Hertfordshire510.080.02Stevenage610.100.02Watford720.120.04St Albans410.070.02All Other Council Areas124812.101.65x Not recorded/not applicable900225Total of Known 5,9144,920Table 9: Bedford Clients by WardBedford WardClients 2014Clients 2016% of all 2014% of all 2016Bromham and Biddenham82761.521.65Clapham102811.901.76Great Barford1161162.162.52Harrold38450.710.98Oakley40420.740.91Riseley38390.710.85Sharnbrook45470.841.02Wyboston44370.820.80North & East sub total5054839.3910.49Eastcotts1201222.232.65Elstow and Stewartby108852.011.85Kempston Central and East2882155.354.67Kempston North1671263.102.74Kempston Rural1051161.952.52Kempston South1181392.193.02Kempston West1771563.293.39Wilshamstead84581.561.26Wootton73801.361.74Kempston & South Subtotal1,2401,09723.0523.83Brickhill2372134.414.63Castle5064139.418.97Cauldwell55445410.309.86De Parys2141623.983.52Goldington4333538.057.67Harpur4513798.388.23Kingsbrook4784028.888.73Newnham1891743.513.78Putnoe1581582.943.43Queens Park4133137.686.80Bedford Town Sub total3,6333,02167.5365.62Not recorded/not applicable230.040.07TOTAL Clients 5,3804,604100100Table 10: Main Issues at Level 1?20142016Issue AIC Part 1Issues% IssuesIssues% Issues2016 as % of 2014% ChangeDebt5,10233.645,08730.2799.71-0.29Benefits & tax credits4,23027.895,97535.55141.2541.25Employment1,3058.601,1556.8788.51-11.49Housing1,2558.271,1656.9392.83-7.17Relationships & family8775.788515.0697.04-2.96All Other Issues2,39915.822,57315.31107.257.25Grand Total15,16810016,806100.00110.8010.80Table 11: Benefits & Tax Credits (Level2)AIC Part22014 Issues2016 Issues2014/2016 Change2016 as % of 2014% ChangeDiscrimination1?-10Income Support153145-894.77-5.23Pension Credit16317411106.756.75Social Fund Loans-Budgeting4520-2544.44-55.56SF Community Care grants2?-20.00Housing Benefit608715107117.6017.60Child Benefit115241126209.57109.57Council Tax Benefit2?-20.00Working & Child Tax Credits408546138133.8233.82Jobseekers Allowance307237-7077.20-22.80National Insurance169-756.25-43.75State Retirement Pension425816138.1038.10Incapacity Benefit192-1710.53-89.47Disability Living Allowance2602611100.380.38DLA-Mobility Component320-320.00Attendance Allowance14717124116.3316.33Carers Allowance8014767183.7583.75Employment Support Allowance669859190128.4028.40Universal creditn/a109108??Personal independence payment289851562294.46194.46Localised social welfare259-1636.00-64.00Council tax reduction218502284230.28130.28Benefit cap?66?Welfare reform benefit loss3?-30.00Complaints165600.00500.00Passported benefits332291066.67966.67Other benefits issues595566-2995.13-4.87Not recorded/not applicable263092831188.461088.46?4,2305,9751,745141.2541.25Table 12: Benefits & Tax Credits: Main areas of concern at level 3AIC Part2AIC Part32014 Issues2016 IssuesHousing BenefitEligibility, entitlement, calculation261405Changes of circumstances6454Discretionary payments3610Appeals3115B Challenging a decision (not appeals)2841Making and managing a claim2564Backdating1519Other8323Not recorded/not applicable6584TOTAL608715Child BenefitEligibility, entitlement, calc.65180Making and managing a claim1828Other1312Not recorded/not applicable1921TOTAL115241Working & Child Tax CreditsEligib, entitl & calc - ALL217266Change of circumstances3724Appeals2623Making and managing a claim2065Alleged fraud1318Backdating414All Other3425Not recorded/not applicable57111TOTAL408546Employment Support AllowanceEligibility, entitlement, calculation255234Appeals7055Making and managing a claim43205Work capability assesment (all aspects)3720Challenging a decision (not appeals)3447Change of circumstances2122Incorrect group allocation19212 month limit to contribution-based ESA139Backdating1120Permitted work617Housing costs313Premium255All Other9051Not recorded/not applicable65109TOTAL669859Contd. Table 12: Benefits & Tax Credits: Main areas of concern at level 3AIC Part2AIC Part32014 Issues2016 IssuesUniversal CreditMaking and managing a claim?27Eligibility, entitlement, calc.?18All Other140Not recorded/not applicable124?2?109Personal Independence PaymentEligibility - all199460Making and managing a claim45138Appeals357Backdating136Challenging a decision (not appeals)?28Change of circumstances412Renewals & reviews?10Additional evidence (medical or other)?10All Other2119Not recorded/not applicable1681TOTAL289851Council Tax ReductionEntitlement working age91342Entitlement pension age3461Change of circumstances3328Challenging a decision2028Claiming process1913All Other issues1511Not recorded/not applicable619TOTAL218502Table 13: Unique ClientsClient Numbers presenting an issue - total allowing for those presenting more than one issue 201420162016 as % of 2014No. As %No.% Benefits & Tax CreditsAll Benefits & Tax credits1,974100.001,87510094.98Council tax reduction1969.9343823.36223.47Personal independence payment1567.9042022.40269.23Child Benefit944.7619910.61211.70DebtAll Debt1,850100.001,305100.0070.5407 Rent arrears - housing associations25513.7835327.05138.4320 Overpts. Housing & Council Tax Bens.643.46937.13145.3109 Council tax arrears34518.6539430.19114.2016 Water supply & sewerage debts22212.0028721.99129.28Table 14: Debt IssuesMain areas of change highlightedDebt AIC Part22014 Issues2016 Issues2016 issues as % of 2014Rent arrears - housing associations371619166.85Overpts. Housing & Council Tax Bens.83131157.83Council tax arrears518750144.79Water supply & sewerage debts298430144.30Catalogue & mail order debts116156134.48Rent arrears - private landlords133177133.08Overpayments of WTC & CTC90119132.22Credit, store & charge card debts402495123.13Fuel debts217260119.82Arrears of income tax, VAT or NI contributions4146112.20Unpaid parking penalty & cong. chgs.8889101.14Overpayments of other benefits181794.44Overpayments of IS/JSA/ESA373389.19Payday loan debts907583.33Maintenance & child maintenance arrears171482.35Unsecured personal loan debts37730681.173rd party debt collection excl. bailiffs14105750.00Individual Voluntary Arrangement141178.57Hire purchase arrears594677.97Bank & building society overdrafts27317162.64Other legal remedies5360.00Mortgage & secured loan arrears1277357.48Social Fund debts281657.14Rent arrears - LAs or ALMOs361541.67Bankruptcy1074138.32Debt Relief Order2357431.49Mag. Cts. - fines & comp.ord. arrears57012021.05Telephone & broadband debts3115417.36Discrimination2?0.00 Logbook/bill of sale loan debts3?0.00Private Bailiffs16??Debts to loan sharks/illegal lenders?1?Pawnbroker debts?2?Mobile phone debt?99?Other telecoms debt (landline, broadband, bundle, TV)?56?Debts to friends and family?47?Other38937295.63Not recorded/not applicable1764376.47All Debt 5,1025,08799.71Table 15: Universal Credit IssuesIssue (AIC 3)No. Issues% of AllUnique ClientsEligibility, entitlement, calc.1816.5%17Eligibility to disability elements10.9%1Alleged fraud, error and disputes10.9%1Poor administration32.8%3Changes of circumstances54.6%5Civil penalties10.9%1Challenging a decision (not appeals)43.7%3Rental - discretionary housing payments21.8%2Rental element - social rented sector restrictions (under occupation)32.8%3Rental element - LHA restrictions10.9%1Sanctions and hardship loans/payments43.7%4Not recorded/not applicable2422.0%24APA - frequency10.9%1Advance payments (budgeting advance)76.4%6APA - direct to landlord65.5%6Making and managing a claim2724.8%23Other10.9%1?Total109100.0%64APPENDIX BBedford Wards by Geographic areaBedford TownBrickhillCastleCauldwellDe ParysGoldingtonHarpurKingsbrookNewnhamPutnoeQueens ParkNorth & EastBromham and BiddenhamClaphamGreat BarfordHarroldOakleyRiseleySharnbrookWybostonKempston & SouthEastcottsElstow and StewartbyKempston Central and EastKempston NorthKempston RuralKempston SouthKempston WestWilshamsteadWoottonAPPENDIX CBedford Areas of Deprivation Most Deprived LSOAs in Bedford Borough, IMD 2010 Source: Bedford Borough Council, based on Indices of Deprivation 2010, Department for Communities and Local Government The Indices of Deprivation 2010?measure deprivation at the Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) geography.? Of the 102 LSOAs in Bedford Borough, 4 are among the 10% most deprived areas in England on the IMD (these are LSOAs in parts of Castle (2), Cauldwell and Harpur wards).?A further 7 LSOAs are among the 10-20% most deprived nationally, with 11 more among the 20-30% most deprived. ?Areas among the 0-10%, 10-20% and 20-30% most deprived in England are shaded red, orange and yellow in the table and on the map: all 22 of these LSOAs are in Bedford or Kempston towns, with the greatest deprivation centred on Castle, Cauldwell, Goldington and Kingsbrook wardsText from Bedford Council webpage: DData from CAB Trends Report July-Sept 2016Household TenureClientsPercentageBuying Home (Mortgage, etc)868%Council/ALMO Tenant918%Homeless (incl. B & B Tenant)91%Hostel61%Housed Through Job/Business10%Housing Association/RSL Tenant35732%Other151%Own Outright10610%Private Tenant30327%Residential Accommodation (Nursing/Care homes)10%Shared Ownership40%Staying with Relatives/Friends (Paying Rent)444%Staying with Relatives/Friends (Rent Free)797%Total1,102100%Household TypeClientsPercentageCouple13112%Couple With Dependent Children20820%Couple With Non-Dependent Children252%Other Adults Only151%Other With Dependent Children20%Single Person39838%Single Person With Dependent Children24923%Single Person With Non-Dependent Children333%Total1,061100%Occupation (self-defined)ClientsPercentageCarer – children131%Carer – elderly/disabled91%Employed - under 30 hrs. p/w16018%Employed - 30 hrs. p/w or over21824%Permanently sick/disabled384%Retired758%Self-employed253%Student131%Unemployed 33136%Other444%Total926100%Income profileClients< ? 400 pcm15630%? 400 - ? 599 pcm7515%? 600 - ? 799 pcm5611%? 800 - ? 999 pcm6613%? 1000 - ? 1499 pcm10320%? 1500 - ? 1999 pcm367%? 2000 - ? 2499 pcm122%? 2500 - ? 2999 pcm61%> ? 3000 pcm41%Total514100% ................
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