Breach 3 notices issued to jobseekers October 2013 to December 2015 (FOI)

​​Request

A.

Out of the total number of Breach 3 notices issued to jobseekers between 15 October 2013 and the 31 December 2014 under Regulation 5B (4) of the Income Support (Jersey) Regulations 2007 how many such notices resulted in the consequent closure of a claimant’s Income Support claim?

B.

Out of the total number of income support claims closed after the issue of a Breach 3 notice (asked for in (A) above), how many such claim closure decisions were officially notified to the claimant by means of a written decision sent by letter post to the claimant’s home address, informing the claimant of the decision to close their income support claim, the name of the officer who took that decision, and also of their right to request a reconsideration of the decision to close their income support claim within 21 days of receipt of the letter?

For clarification, what I am asking for in (B) above is confirmation of how many claimants whose income support claims were closed after the issue of a Breach 3 notice were then additionally notified in writing of that closure decision, the officer who took the closure decision, and their right to request a reconsideration within 21 days of the decision to close their claim, separate to any additional right to request a reconsideration within 7 days of the decision to actually issue the Breach 3 notice itself.  I am already aware that such claimants are being notified of their right to request a reconsideration within 7 days of the decision to issue a Breach 3 notice. However, I am not currently aware of how many of these claimants have been separately notified of their additional right to request a reconsideration within 21 days of the decision to close their claim. It is the latter information that I am therefore seeking.

Response

We have now finished searching for the information you requested. A copy of the information which can be disclosed is below.

A.

There were 122 Breach 3 notices issued between 15.10.13 and 31.12.2014.

107 resulted in the closure of the Income Support claim.

B.

All 107 claims that closed as a direct result of the Breach 3 in the period 15.10.13 and 31.12.14 received letters from the Department.

In addition to the Back to Work letters sent, 54 claims received an additional letter from Income Support stating that they had 21 days redetermination period.

To improve our customer service the department have reviewed this process and going forward only 1 letter will be sent. The letters will come from Back to Work as the decision makers of the Breach process.