A fresh start: transforming engagement with disabled benefits claimants through a case worker model
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Summary
The Pathways to Work green paper proposes to offer a ‘support conversation’ to anyone on out of work benefits with a work limiting health condition or disability who wants support. The intention of this conversation is to identify claimants’ needs and goals and to signpost them to available support.
The support conversation represents an important step forward, but there are a number of barriers to making it work. Many claimants have negative perceptions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and our research shows that too many claimants face harmful practices within Jobcentres. DWP needs to transform its interactions with Universal Credit (UC) claimants with health problems by taking a new, more tailored approach.
This paper proposes applying a case worker model to the support conversation. Based on our previous paper, The case for case workers, we argue that specialist case workers should conduct the support conversation. Case workers would be claimants’ first point of contact. They would be responsible for identifying support needs and making appropriate referrals for specialist support. They could then provide ongoing light-touch careers advice and pastoral support for those who wish to have more sustained support. This would offer continuity of support for those who want it, rather than the proposed one-off conversation, without creating excessive workloads for case workers.
The conversation should be voluntary, so that disabled claimants don’t feel they are being forced into work if that isn’t appropriate for them. Voluntary engagement will help to combat negative perceptions of DWP and foster a relationship based on genuine support rather than fear or duress.
We propose five key principles for an effective support conversation:
Base the conversation on voluntary participation
Provide empathy and encouragement for claimants without coercion
Offer flexibility and tailored support by default
Take a holistic approach to health, wellbeing and work
Offer ongoing support to those who would like it
Case workers conducting the support conversation would need to specialise in health and disabilities. They should be thoroughly trained in the barriers to work that disabled people face, as well as safeguarding and crisis support. A good knowledge of local disability support networks is vital and they should have time allocated to engage with these networks regularly.
For the support conversation to provide meaningful support, the government will also need to address a number of key barriers to success. These challenges include inconsistency in provision of local services to refer claimants to; availability of appropriate, flexible and accessible work opportunities; and a lack of trust in DWP and the Jobcentre.
If done well, the support conversation offers a fresh start to both DWP and disabled claimants. By adopting the case worker model and our 5 key principles, DWP can reset its relationship with its service users. A strong support offer then helps those claimants to get a fresh start by addressing the barriers they face and, where suitable, considering a move towards the workplace.
This paper is authored by Kate Harrison