Providing smart advice

Citizens Advice -  SSA Contract for Benefit Uptake

Citizens Advice centres meet the information and advice needs of some 260,000 people per year and sixty per cent of queries relate to social security. CAB have been publicly supportive about the emerging business model in the Social Secruity Agency (SSA) which combines the intelligent use of data matching and partnership working with the advice sector in Northern Ireland.  This has ensured that many vulnerable groups, in particular, older people, have accessed benefits that they were unaware they were entitled to. For example in 2009 the Benefit Uptake Project with the SSA helped vulnerable people identify and claim £6.1million in social security benefits, which will eventually amount to £38.8million over the average length of the resulting claims. 

Source SSA 2010

CAB believe that this approach of using departmental databases alongside the development of partnerships in the advice sector should be extended as it is a proven and successful service delivery model.  The SSA agree and recognise that the true impact of this engagement is hard to quantify as "it includes ancillary benefits such as applications to the Blue Badge Scheme, advice on debt, making wills etc.”  Evaluation of the Benefit Uptake Programme SSA 2010.