DWP to merge two benefits claimed by thousands of people in major shake-up
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to merge two key benefits in a major shakeup to the benefits system. The benefits department will be combining its pension-age Housing Benefit and Pension Credit into a single one with the plans now in its first stages. The move - first announced in 2011 - will see people over the state pension age of 66 get a unified single benefit payment. The hope is that this would help more people claim the extra support as it would make a simpler system.
The move was pushed back since, however, the new Labour government has confirmed that it would press on with the merger and would “bring together the administration of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit as soon as operationally possible”. So, progress has now started on the merger and the DWP has now signed a deal worth almost £1million with tech giant IBM to advise on the digital transformation required for the merger. The initial four-month contract - which could be extended - will see IBM's online customer experience specialists help design the new system.
According to a report by Public Technology, the process will involve mapping out the current process and working with stakeholders to create a more user-friendly experience. A government contract published on GOV.UK says: "Highly-skilled service design practitioners will lead the planning and execution of these activities, delivering agreed artefacts such as insights, service blueprints, outcome measures, and prioritised enhancement backlogs. These activities require direct access to customers, employees, and owners of enablers such as platforms, products, automation, and process modelling.
