Income Support: Policy Guidelines: Dental Expenses and Flooring

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A decision made 17 February 2012:

Decision Reference: MD-S-2012-0015
Decision Summary Title :	DS – Income Support Policy Guidelines		Date of Decision Summary:	16 February 2012
Decision Summary Author:	Policy and Strategy Director		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	WR - Income Support Policy Guidelines		Date of Written Report:	16 February 2012
Written Report Author:	Policy and Strategy Director		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Income Support Policy Guidelines
Decision(s): The Minister decided to amend the Income Support Policy Guidelines in respect of the treatment of applications for special payments for dental expenses and floor coverings with effect from 20th February 2012.
Reason(s) for Decision: The Department included a savings target of £100,000 against Special Payment costs as part of its CSR commitment for 2012. Dental costs make up a major proportion of special payment applications with many claims valued in excess of £1,000. The proposal to provide funding through loans as well as grants ensures that individuals will continue to have access to appropriate support but they will make a contribution towards larger bills. Pensioners and people with disabilities will continue to have all their costs met through grants. Co-ordination with the Housing Department has led to an improved process for void properties which will result in a reduction in the cost of providing replacement floor coverings in States rental properties. If floor coverings are not suitable for re-use, the new tenant will still be able to apply for assistance with the cost.
Resource Implications: It is estimated that the changes to dental payments will result in a saving of £87,000 in a full year. It is estimated that the changes to floor covering payments will result in a saving of between £14,500 and £50,000 in a full year, it is difficult to predict this figure accurately.
Action required: Policy Principal to liaise with Governance and Income Support teams to update policy guidelines, departmental procedures and website.
Signature:		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Income Support: Policy Guidelines: Dental Expenses and Flooring

Income Support Policy Guidelines

Revisions to policy in respect of payments for dental treatment and floor coverings

This report identifies two changes to Special Payment guidelines to achieve a savings target of approximately £100,000 per annum as part of the overall departmental CSR target for 2012.

It is proposed that the Department adopts new guidelines governing the levels of dental treatment that Income Support will pay for. Under the current guidelines there is no upper limit to the cost of any treatment either deemed to be an emergency or urgent and essential to dental health. Spending in this area rose quickly between 2009 and 2010, from £145,000 to £308,000, with spending at a similar level in 2011. Nearly 20% of claims were for sums in excess of £1,000.

It is proposed that a limit of £500 is established: individuals would be allowed to claim up to this amount within a two-year period, with additional costs above £500 to be issued as a loan to be recovered from ongoing benefit. The right of Income Support to provide special payments by way of loans is given under the Income Support (Jersey) Law 2007, Article 8, Paragraph 5. No interest will be payable on the outstanding amount of the loan. All payments made after 1 January 2012 will be considered when calculating the £500 limit over 2 years.

It is proposed that an exception to this limit is made for claimants aged 65 and above and for individuals in receipt of levels 2 or 3 of the Personal Care component. These claimants would continue to receive grants as normal, although still subject to a limit to urgent and essential or emergency treatment only. In addition, it is proposed that Determining Officers continue to apply discretion in exceptional circumstances to allow an increased grant to be paid. For example, this could apply in the case of a young adult needing a full set of dentures following a serious illness affecting their teeth or gums.

It is also proposed that the Department confirms new arrangements in respect of tenants moving in to Housing Department properties. In 2010, Housing tenants accounted for 84% of all claims for special payments for carpets, in part because Housing has previously required tenants to remove and dispose of their carpets before vacating the property. A new policy is currently being trialled with Housing’s Void and Allocations team in which they will no longer require serviceable flooring to be removed. On receiving an application for a Special Payment for carpets in a Housing property, Income Support staff will now contact the Housing Department to determine if a property is let with adequate flooring – if so the only financial assistance available will be for cleaning the flooring, as necessary.

It is proposed to introduce these revised guidelines from 20 February 2012. The Department will be undertaking a broader review of support for dental costs during 2012 which may result in further changes to the treatment of dental special payments.

Based on figures for 2011, approximately £87,000 could be saved by limiting dental treatment to £500 per person over a two-year period. This figure takes into account the exemption of over 65s and disabled claimants from the £500 limit.

It is more difficult to estimate the savings on carpets without knowing how many Housing will consider as suitable to retain. An estimate of between 20% and 70% of carpets retained projects savings to be somewhere between £14,500 to £50,000 per year – based on a total value of grants of £72,482 issued to Housing tenants in 2010.