Request 101004046799

This is an information request regarding benefit take-up services and income maximisation for PIP, ERA and LCWRA

Please include the following information for the following years 2025/26, 2024/25, 2023/24 and 2022/23

1) Total amount paid each year to third-party providers of benefit take up, benefit entitlement analytics, low income data tracking or income maximisation services. a. This includes, but is not limited to: Policy in Practice (including the Low Income Family Tracker / "LIFT" dashboard and the Better Off Calculator), Entitledto, IncomeMax, Inbest, Lightning Reach, and Turn2us calculator licensing.

2) For each provider please provide.
a) The name of the provider and the product
b) The start date of the contract and the end date

3) Specify which providers provide services for PIP, ERA and LCWRA.

4) Provide the council's most recent recorded figures for additional benefit income secured for residents claiming PIP, ERA and LCWRA. (Sometimes recorded as "financial gains", "income generated", "income maximised" or "additional benefits secured")

5) Total number of households that secured additional benefit income for residents each year.
a) If possible, provide a breakdown of households based on which benefit they received after the third party benefit take up
b) How many additional households did the additional benefit income for PIP, ERA and LCWRA secured go to?

6) Does the council fund a welfare rights, benefits advice or income-maximisation service? (in-house or commissioned, including grants to Citizens Advice or other advice agencies)
a) If yes, please provide
i. the current number of full-time-equivalent staff
ii. The council's expenditure on the service

7) The total number of residents contacted by letter, text, phone or door knocking in proactive benefit take-up campaigns. Meaning the council initiated contact by or on behalf of the council with residents identified as potentially eligible for benefits they were not claiming
a) Please provide council estimates if the exact number is not recorded
b) Provide the benefits that residents were targeted to sign up to

8) Total number of social security appeals (including mandatory reconsiderations and First-tier Tribunal cases) in which the council's welfare rights service, or a council-funded service, provided casework or representation in each financial year,
a) Provide the number of successful and rejected cases

9) A copy of the most recent annual report or performance report of the welfare rights/income-maximisation service, if one exists.