Policy in Practice's Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator software has everything you need to help people set realistic job goals - the first step of getting into work. We help you answer the question "Does work pay?" "The Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator is different. Its outcome-based approach has been very powerful and has really helped us to change behaviour of both our residents and advisors." Inga Spencer, LB Hillingdon You can show people what benefits they can get under Universal Credit and the current system, provide advice on where savings might be made, provide help with personal budgeting support and create a simple, straightforward action plan, all in one integrated platform. View the slides from the webinar we held on Wednesday 20 July 2016. You will see: 1. Why 83% of advisors think the Policy in Practice calculator is faster than their own “better off” calculator 2. Why 69% of advisors thought the Policy in Practice calculator is easier to use 3. Why 75% of customers found the visuals used to show their own financial position useful 4. Why customers are 85% more likely to understand the welfare system 5. How an accurate budgeting tool can also help you triage your clients to key partner organisations to save you time and resources to support your clients

1. Policy in Practice
Webinar: Are you
evaluating Universal
Benefit and Budgeting
Calculators?
Wednesday 20 July 2016

2. Housekeeping
• Audio check
• Please ask questions
• Poll and a survey
• Finish by 11:30

3. Speakers
Peter Carter
Policy in Practice
Deven Ghelani
Policy in Practice

4. Agenda
• Introduction to Policy in Practice
• Welfare reform roadmap to 2020
• Our approach: local data + our software
• A look at our software
• Case studies and feedback from frontline advisors
• Next steps

5. We make the welfare system
simple to understand, so that
people can make the decisions
that are right for them

6. 666
Over to Deven

7. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
SOFTWARE
individual impact
CONSULTANC
local impact
POLICY
national impact

8. 888

9. 99
Every household counts:
The importance of a household level
view

10. What if you could see that:
“Mrs Biggins at 73 Acacia Terrace will be
affected by all welfare changes by £15.62 per
week, particularly Universal Credit and she has
high barriers to work”
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

11. Why is this important?
• Members want to know
• How else can you decide on your local support scheme?
• Which residents do you contact, and how do you prioritise?
• How much rental income is at risk?
• You have a statutory obligation and ethos to protect the vulnerable
• You need to be able to deliver more with less

12. 121212
Over to Peter

13. 131313
Powerful software
Helping people make decisions that are right for
them

14. Key benefits

15. Powerful software
Our Universal Benefit Calculator is fast, accurate and simple to use. It
compares the current system and Universal Credit side-by-side. Advisors don’t
need to be policy experts to explain the welfare system and what the changes
will mean.
This allows you to:
• simplify frontline conversations
• explain complex changes using visuals and colour
• support all advisors using information they can trust
• help people make decisions that are right for them

16. Universal Benefit and Budgeting
Calculator
The software:
• Works offline – helpful for home visits in rural areas
• Includes a self-service option for tenants – saving advisors time and
promoting inclusion
• Can be customised – to reflect your priorities and tone of voice
• Includes built in help, training and live chat support for advisors
• Uses colour, visuals and simple language

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Have conversations about action
plans rather than data entry
Frontline advisors can …

18. 181818
Explain complex changes using visuals
and colour
Frontline advisors can …

19. 191919
Refer to the built-in help tips and live
chat functionality, using information
they can trust
Frontline advisors can …

20. 2020
Help people make decisions that are
right for them
Frontline advisors can …

21. 212121
“The best reaction I got was a customer who
stated ‘I am definitely getting a job now’.”
Frontline advisor

22. “It is very quick to use so it was not taking up all
our time during the meeting. It left more time to
discuss the results with the customer.”
Frontline advisor

23. 232323
“I think the calculator is brilliant and really easy to
use, it can email and print out calculations and
the comparison was fab.”
Frontline advisor

24. 24
“I will definitely be using this in the future, a very
good tool to have.”
Frontline advisor

25. 252525
It is very quick to use so it was not
taking up all our time during the
meeting it left more time to discuss
the results with the customer.
I will definitely be using this in
the future, a very good tool to
have.
I think the calculator is brilliant and
really easy to use, it can email and
print out calculations and the
comparison was fab
The best reaction I got was a
customer that stated "I am
definitely getting a job now“.
Feedback from frontline advisors

26. 262626
"The Universal Benefit and Budgeting Calculator
is different. Its outcome-based approach has
been very powerful and has really helped us to
change behaviour of both our residents and
advisors."
Inga Spencer, LB Hillingdon

27. 2727
“For us, as well as mitigating against the risks
brought by welfare reforms, there was a huge
opportunity to try and do something different, to
promote opportunity, and that is still our aim.”
Danielle Henry, Buckinghamshire County Council

28. 282828
“Deven understood what our needs were and
listened to how we intended to use the calculator
as part of our pilot. His detailed knowledge of the
current benefit system and UC, combined with
his technical expertise to build online tools of this
type made him the ideal person to work with us
on this.”
Justine Roberts, Lewisham Council

29. 2929
“Our tenants are facing increased pressure on
their budgets as a result of welfare reforms. This is
one of the key reasons why we chose Policy in
Practice's Universal Benefit and Budgeting
Calculator software. It allows us to provide better
income and budgeting support to our tenants.”
Linda Tookey, First Wessex Housing Association

30. 303030
“The software is so user friendly and has a lot of
really useful added features. It’s also the only
one that’s UC compatible.
“There are lots of intuitive features in there which
mean that an advisor doesn’t have to be a
benefits expert.”
Jemma Johnstone, Serco

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“The UBC has a better range of scenarios, for
instance it takes into account the cost of free
school meals.
“It has better information so you don’t have to
guess - it can work out average rents and utilities
consumption.”
Serco subcontractor

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“Any software is only as good as its
implementation and the support we’ve had from
the team to bed in the new service has been a
massive benefit to us.”
Jemma Johnstone, Serco

33. Proactive steps now can mitigate the
impact of reforms
www.policyinpractice.co.uk

34. • Your Homes Newcastle targeted
rental income at risk from welfare
reforms using Policy in Practice
• YHN manages homes for Newcastle
City Council
• Housing stock of 27,000+ properties
• YHN and NCC worked with Policy in
Practice to identify the impact of
welfare reforms on each individual
household
• They use the Universal Benefit and
Budgeting Calculator to train staff
and engage affected residents
Council and ALMO working together

35. The challenges
1. Understand the cumulative impact of welfare reforms
2. Support tenants to budget under Universal Credit, and take action to avoid
the impact of the Benefit Cap
3. Create efficiencies for staff; who may need training on reforms, and help in
having broader conversations with residents
4. Opportunity to help tenants to self serve, and avoid having to tell their story
more than once.

36. YHN: how the analysis helps us
“We identified rental income at risk from
the impacts of welfare reform.
We can now proactively reach out to
people in a preventative way.”

37. YHN: how the software helps us
“The action plan isn’t just words, it’s
visual.
If someone isn’t improving their
circumstances we’ve got something in
place to review with them and look at
their support options.”

38. The impact
1. Proactive support given
• Understanding of the impact of recent welfare reforms
• Projected impact of planned and future reforms, including Universal Credit
• Understanding of the cumulative impact of reforms across the city
2. Preventative approach adopted
• Help residents understand the impact of welfare reform on their finances
• Improved support to residents who need it most, preventing some from being
affected by welfare changes and lessening the impact on others
• Understand the potential impact of reforms on YHN’s balance sheet
3. At risk income identified
• Seven figure sum of rental income at risk from 500 households most affected by
lower benefit cap

39. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Questions?

40. Next steps
Complete the automated survey immediately after this webinar to:
1. Request case studies
2. Request a 30 day software trial
3. Request pricing details

41. How we can help you
1. Get the facts
Analysis and household level dataset will help you to set the strategic direction, and
develop a programme / plan of activity.
2. Focus your support programmes
The council can target support at ward, postcode and individual household level.
3. Have better frontline conversations
Simple, smart software helps people make decisions that are right for them
We can help you deliver welfare reforms whilst supporting your most vulnerable
residents as effectively as possible

42. www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Thank you
Peter Carter
peter@policyinpractice.co.uk
07805 254371
Deven Ghelani
deven@policyinpractice.co.uk
07863 560677