I have received information from the IR press office about the switch over to CTC for IS & ib JSA claimants with children. They told me today (21 Jan) that this will occur sometime in 2004-05, but they don't know when, if it will be phased, all at once nor if it will be initially for new IS/ib JSA claims.

Another IR source said that it would be phased in between April & September 2004.

I've also heard that claimants are getting letters about transfer to CTC.

This seems to be adding to the mountain of confusion about TCs and I wonder what others think is going to happen and when?

Hi Neil,

My understanding was that those who have made parallel claims for CTC prior to April 2004 are due to go over to CTC plus adult only IS/IBJSA in April 2004, and those who did not elect to make parallel CTC claims would go over to the new system within 6 months of April 2004. Does your information contradict this?

Steve

Yes, the IR's press office stuck to the "sometime in 04/05" line even when I ask about this point and others. It's hard to tell what's going on - is it an internal communication problem within the IR or are they re-considering the handover in view of their implementation problems? I really don't know!

JC+ informed us yesterday that they received instructions the day before relating to this. Apparently all new ibJSA and IS claimants with children from 5.4.04 will have to claim CTC, but there is a transitional period until October 04 for all existing claimants. The DWP are doing a computer scan to identify all those who are affected, and apparently they will be inviting them in to the JC+ office for a 'better off'(?) calculation for the transitional period. Quite what this will entail and where they are going to get the resources from to do this is not clear.

anyone heard anything further ... all i've seen recently is repeated 'assurances' in hansard that there'll be an announcement shortly ... for example, on 24 february -

'The hon. Member for Northavon made the reasonable request that we should ensure continuity of payment as a priority for those who are transferring to the child tax credit. I assure him that that is our priority. He has been told that the Paymaster General will make a statement about that and its administration in due course. I assure him that there will be no withdrawal of benefits until the tax credit award is in place. All families will be informed of the transfer, and I hope that that provides sufficient reassurance.'

early day motion tabled yesterday -

'That this House notes the Government's plans to transfer families with children currently receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance and income support on to child tax credit from April; further notes with concern the reports of delays in the systems testing of the computer software needed to facilitate the transfer; calls on the Goverment to ensure that benefit payments in respect of children are not withdrawn until replacement tax credit payments are confirmed to be in place, and if necessary to delay the changes until such time as the computer systems are robust enough to deal with the transfer; and further calls upon the Government to make an urgent statement on the issue.'

DWP told me on 8/3/04 that there will be an announcement "shortly".
There appears to be a problem of some sort and the EDM makes all the right points.

From yesterday's Hansard, more news on "migration".

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/cm040311/text/40311w07.htm#40311w07.html_wqn9

Still vague though!

The hansard statement appears to say that the transfer of IS/ibJSA claimants (who don't have an overlapping TC award) will start in October. I thought it was meant to be completed by then.

There's a good summary about what's happening on the back of the latest DWP HB Direct newsletter (on the DWP HB Info website). It is of concern that both DWP and IR have been so vague about their plans as this can only add to confusion among claimants and create additional queries for advice agencies, local authorities and their own staff.

Apparently a "small number" (up to 70,000) of claimants may be adversely affected by the floating off IS/ib JSA to CTC. Little consolation if you are one of that small number (actually it's about the same as the population of Barrow-in-Furness, not exactly a small place), and an insight into the conveyor belt approach to all this at the expense of individuals.

from hansard yesterday -

"The Inland Revenue has not entered into general correspondence with families about the transfer from child allowances in Income Support and income-based Jobseekers Allowance to Child Tax Credit. I understand however that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has written to all IS/JSA(IB) families to notify them of the change."

Have been told last week by local JC Plus that auto migration will take place on 29.01.05.

An issue has arisen here with people who will be floated off IS in January because of CTC. We know that following a DWP scan, those people who will be floated off, but who would be better off claiming CTC now, are being called into JC Plus offices to have a financial assessment and are being encouraged to claim CTC now. Two people contacted us who had both been told that they would be £1 and £2 better off after CTC and encouraged to claim now 'before the rush' Following my complaint, local office say they had not been informed of auto migration in January 05. In addition one claimant will be no better, no worse off (apart from loss of access to SF) after paying mortgage and CT, and the other will be £18 worse off. JC officer failed to calculate HB/CTB (in a rent to buy home).

Does anyone have more recent information on this ?
We have a couple of clients who are being put back on IS following ICB appeals,meaning that though they have just started getting the benefit the claims are technically pre-april. This has been an unbelievable (and ongoing) hassle and we are now being told that both cases must now be dealt with "clerically" due to earlier DWP errors, and the computer can never be set up to pay the children. (2 seperate sections left pauses after this information as if we would say that in that case they did not have to pay...)
What alarmed us though was that the IS section are not only saying we should have got these clients to claim CTC because that would make things easy for the DWP now, they are adament that the change over is in October, with no automatic transfer. They were actually asking why we were not doing applications with all our IS clients.
Are they wrong ? Or is there going to be a HUGE mess in October ?
(I am suspecting it is actually both).

Just to re-iterate - we were told last week by the Implementation Manager at JC Plus that auto migration will be 29.01.05. Also explained that IS rates would not change until CTC was in payment to prevent families falling into hardship by delayed assessment of CTC.

At a presentation given by JC Plus in April, the same manager stated that current IS claimants will continue to receive all child personal allowances and premiums until their claims are auto migrated to CTC between October 2004 and April 2005. We have the power point presentation he gave to prove it!. Obviously this date has slipped.

Implementation manager has now conceded that there has been problems in getting this info down to front line staff.

thanks.
that is a relief - but I still don't understand why the DWP at Glasgow are so set on stopping everyones money in October (and worryingly they are the people who could). I did try to argue with but they just insisted.
(and sorry for posting twice last time by accident).

Further to my earlier postings: we have a couple living in our area who will be £18 worse off after the CTC migration so we're very concerned about the date they'll come off IS. The case has been highlighted with CPAG and local MP who is on the DWP select committee. We have been told by our local JC PLus office that migration will start here on 29 Jan 05. Our client has just received a letter from JC Plus saying that migration will begin from October. On checking again with local office, they confirmed that our area is migrating in Jan 05, but that other areas were moving over sooner or later. Everyone needs to check with their local office to find the date for their area.
With regard to the worse off situation, I have just read HB circ A29/2004 which describes the HB backdating for pensioners and tucked at the back is a little reminder for LA's re Discretionary Housing Payments. Para 34 says 'A very small number of home owners who receive support with their mortgage interest through either IS or JSA(IB) are floated off these benefits on migrating to CTC, losing their'passports' to full CTB. They may find that the amount they have to pay towards their council tax, post CTC award, exceeds the increase they get from CTC. Although numbers are small, Ministers are concerned that help should be available where it is needed.
Para 35: This is simply to remind you that, in this very small number of cases, where at least some CTB remains in payment post CTC award, you have the power to consider additional financial support through the award of DHP's and that there are no statutory time limit rules. The award of DHP's does, of course, remain entirely at your discretion'.
So the situation created by DWP and IR is being dumped on LA's. The DHP fund is cash limited, and certainly our LA insist on a comprehensive application form requiring extensive details of expenditure and the reasons for financial hardship. And they certainly jump up and down if we put in repeat applications for the same client. I'm sure everyone can envisage the problems with this scenario - from LA's not advertising DHP's, to all Hb staff not being aware of them.So now our client is going to have to go through 3 means tested processes to retain the income they currently have. Plus they've lost access to the Social Fund. Is there anyone else out there with the same problems?