Capita announces details of the 2nd Reforming Housing Benefit Conference in Manchester

July 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Capita’s 2nd National Reforming Housing Benefit Conference comes at a critical time to address the challenges facing the housing and benefit sector. The Welfare Reform Act and the Localism Act triggers the biggest shake up to the benefits system in 60 years, with the introduction of Universal Credit, designed to encourage people into employment and away from benefit dependency.

With input from demonstration projects and a Universal Credit pathfinder, this essential conference offers best practice and strategic advice on ways to respond to Local Housing Allowance amendments and the implementation of direct payments, the benefits cap and the social housing size limitations.

- Hear from leading housing associations, local authorities and key stakeholders across the sector on vital issues including:
- Identifying private sector rental options for housing benefit claimants and gauging landlords attitudes in response to changes
- Targeting vulnerable tenants early to proactively support them through the transition
- Early testing to establish support for new claimants when Universal Credit replaces housing benefit
- Lessons learnt from demonstration projects piloting direct payments This timely event is the perfect opportunity to learn from early adopters and innovative thinkers already leading the way in implementing strategies to manage the radical restructuring of the benefits system set for 2013. Attendance is imperative to ensure you mitigate the impact and associated risks of the new system.


Speakers include:

- Chair: Charlotte Harrison, Executive Director, Northern Housing Consortium

- Fiona Gough, Deputy Director of Welfare, Department for Communities and Local Government

- Senior Representative, Department for Work and Pensions

- April Higson, Director of Housing, Stockport Homes

- Alison McKenzie-Falon, Director, Policy and Customer, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

- Anne Challoner, Assistant Project Manager, Demonstration Project, Wakefield and District Housing

- Steph Jackson, Group Manager, Customer Care and Involvement, Shropshire Council

Benefits of Attending:

- Gain an update from the Department for Work and Pensions and hear the latest progress on the phased roll out of Universal Credit
- Revisit your policy for the administration of Discretionary Housing Payments to decide at what point they should be considered
- Examine a best practice case study on offering single housing applicants the opportunity to establish joint tenancies with others
- Hear from a Universal Credit Pathfinder Council about future implementation and establishing a social letting agency with Citizens Advice Bureau
- Take away valuable advice and guidance from two of the Direct Payment Demonstration Projects already three months into implementation
- Gain an insight into encouraging and promoting financial inclusion, in order to prevent arrears for vulnerable tenants

For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Hartley - stephanie.hartley@capita.co.uk - 020 7960 7720

Or visit the conference webpage: http://www.capitaconferences.co.uk/public-sector-conferen...

Download brochure: http://www.capitaconferences.co.uk/pdfgen.html?filename=R...