As I have said, the bureaus across the country provide face-to-face help to claim in all the local authority areas. We have 59 bureaus across the country that provide advice not only through their main offices but through outreach, so we have 95 different locations from which help to claim is being delivered. Areas where there is no local CAB are covered by bureaus in neighbouring areas. In a number of local authorities, there is co-location, as Craig Mason mentioned.
People can contact us through different routes. To support face-to-face contact, we have telephony and web chat. People can also self-help through the public advice site, which has fairly comprehensive information. We have ensured that all bureaus have the technological infrastructure to allow them to support individuals. The bureaus have all been given computers and tablets, and public access wi-fi is available for individuals who just need digital access. Obviously, there is also the infrastructure for the telephony and web chat.
As I said, we are expected to meet 20 per cent of the anticipated volumes. We have considered the best way to deliver the service. As Sandra McDermott mentioned, the service provides support with submitting the claim until the person receives their first full payment for that claim. We chose to focus on that because we want to take a proactive approach that involves supporting people at the early stage of submitting a claim so that they do not have difficulties thereafter.
On the ability to access support through the different routes—the multichannel and face-to-face options—our approach is that there is no wrong door for people in accessing the service. We are working closely with local partnerships. In addition to bureaus’ relationship with the DWP, they have strong-rooted partnerships in the communities in their local authority areas, with statutory and community services.
At the first point, the individual’s needs are assessed to ensure that universal credit is the right benefit for them to claim and there is a discussion of which channel they would like to use to get advice. Thereafter, the process is about helping them to submit the claim, up until the first payment. The support is about opening email, bank and universal credit accounts and filling in the application form. With particularly vulnerable clients, there is no change from the obligations on the DWP and local jobcentres in that, if an individual needs a home visit or if a telephone claim might be more appropriate for them, we will arrange that for them.
We have already discussed in a bit of detail the time sensitivity and the need to ensure that the claim is submitted. However, I re-emphasise that advisers are very clear that individuals need to have their claim submitted so that the process of their claim can start and the date of claim is protected.
Sandra McDermott talked about personal budgeting support. That aspect is not within the scope of the service, but individuals are taken through what their payments will be, the frequency of payments, how to manage that and what they can do if they are in financial hardship. People are made aware of alternative payment arrangements, the Scottish choices and advance payments and may be referred for other financial support. They are also supported with providing the evidence that is required, getting ready to attend their appointment with a work coach and with the verification of identity.
We are trying to take as many proactive steps as possible to ensure that, once a person has attended their appointment, the process is as smooth as possible and they get their payment on time. People are also prepared for maintaining the journal—they are thoroughly taken through what they need to do on that. If it is identified that someone has support needs, we ensure that they inform their work coach of that, so that the commitments are manageable.
Finally, we support people with any other needs that they have, through referral either to the services that bureaus provide or to other services—as I mentioned, the bureaus are fairly well integrated in their communities and have good partnership relationships with other services. Such people would be referred onwards through existing partnerships should that be necessary.
That is an overview of what the help to claim service provides. To give an early indication of the volumes, the numbers are consistently increasing week by week and the channel choices are being used. We have found that 57 per cent of clients are using face-to-face contact, but 40 per cent are accessing the service through telephone and web chat combined. In addition to entitlement, the main issues that are coming up are, as expected, the claiming process; support with digital access and online issues; and advance payments.
Many people need assistance with digital access. Understandably, the highest number of those who need such assistance come from those who need face-to-face appointments, whereas people who call the helpline or use the web chat do not need that as much. The largest area of support relates to submitting a claim, followed by support up to the first payment. We are also seeing a lot of quick questions through the telephony and web chat, which again is understandable. Those quick questions are from people who are able to submit their claim but who are looking for a little reassurance that they are on the right path.