Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services and the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, and to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision to review the current method of completing the financial means testing of claimants’ needs to ensure a more equitable process is applied. 

Ms S Hamilton, Team Leader of the Children’s Allowance Team, was in attendance for this item.

1.         Mr Segurola and Ms Hamilton introduced the report and responded to comments and questions from members, including the following:

(a)  SGOs awarded prior to February 2016 would not be affected by these changes.

(b)  The consultation response had been low. There had only been two phone calls relating to the consultation, and these people had been easily placated.  One of the respondents had been given a trial of the changes, and did not notice any difference. People would not be left with less than 125% of the Income Support levels.

(c)  The volume of SGOs was increasing due to case law changes where the payments system was regularised in 2014, and there had been a drop in the numbers of children being put for adoption. However, there was still a new financial burden for KCC.

(d)  Assessments were carried out three months after the order was first acquired, and annually thereafter, on the anniversary.  Evidence of the person’s financial situation was requested, and the person was duty bound to advise KCC of any changes, and if they did not, any overpayment could be recovered.

(e)  It was anticipated that the number of SGOs would increase, but there were a number where there was no requirement on KCC to pay an allowance.  If all of the proposed changes were implemented, there could be over £1 million of savings.

(f)   Adoption Allowances were calculated using the same method as SGOs.

(g)  A large number of people receiving SGOs were working people rather than pensioners.

(h)  Options considered included deducting Child Benefit for those in receipt of an income of more than £50k, but consultation had not shown any clear leads.

(i)    This was an area for challenge, but it would be benchmarked against good practice, and was designed to ensure it was robust against challenge.

2.         RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services to review the means testing for Special Guardianship Order Allowances, Adoption Allowances and other related Allowances, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, or other nominated officer to undertake the necessary actions to implement the decision, be endorsed.