Guidance

LA Welfare Direct 8/2025

Updated 6 August 2025

LAWD8/2025 1 August 2025.

Contact

If you have queries about the: 

• technical content of this bulletin then contact details are given at the end of each article

• general content and distribution of this bulletin, contact lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk

Who should read

All Housing Benefit colleagues, County Councils (see contents) and wider if appropriate.

Action

For information.

County Councils: Please note the articles at paragraphs 9 to 14 are for your attention.

Crown Copyright 2025.

Recipients may freely reproduce this bulletin.

Editorial

I always enjoy reading each edition of the LA Welfare Direct (LAWD), even if I’m aware of most of what is contained in articles beforehand. The reason I enjoy it so much is because I’m aware of all the hard work that goes into what are usually pretty short communications articles. Also, each LAWD demonstrates just how much DWP is doing to continually try to improve our services to LAs, as we work to support the vulnerable citizens we share. 

In that regard, this months’ LAWD includes a number of data sharing related articles from my team.  

I’m particularly pleased about the first one, where we’ve allowed LA staff who administer the Corporate Appointee process in their LA to access Searchlight for this purpose. My team and I were repeatedly told by various colleagues that this would never be possible. But we found a way to make it possible. This should now mean that LAs find it much quicker and easier to both grant Corporate Appointee status and then act as a Corporate Appointee for some of the most vulnerable of citizens. 

Similarly, as that article mentions, the idea itself came from a small number of LAs who mentioned it in one of the annual LA surveys we have sent out for the last 3 years. Around half of LAs fill in this survey, and around half of LAs attend the quarterly call I host for all LAs about data sharing (see separate LAWD article about the next one of these calls). During both routes, we continue to hear improvement ideas, and we listen to all feedback and ideas carefully. For many of them, this ultimately leads to fixes and improvements, even if it sometimes takes time to actually deliver.  

Keep that feedback coming and enjoy the last official month of summer. 

Paul Selby,

LA-PED Deputy Divisional Manager.

Reminder: Local authorities acting as Corporate Appointees can now access Searchlight for claimant information

1. As reflected in the updated 2025 iteration of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and local authorities (LAs), after consulting with legal and security teams, DWP has made the positive decision to allow LAs acting as Corporate Appointees to claimants, access to Searchlight for information when they:

• have been formally approved as a Corporate Appointee, or
• are in the process of becoming the Corporate Appointee, to support the application process.

2. This access will support Corporate Appointee teams within LAs to process claims for vulnerable groups of customers seamlessly, with a significant reduction in operational costs and processing time.

3. This change was made in response to LAs asking for this access when completing the annual LA customer survey on data sharing and security which, as you are aware, allows LAs to suggest specific improvements. Through this route, a number of LA Corporate Appointee teams requested access to DWP’s Searchlight IT system, to support vulnerable claimants who lack capacity to manage their own financial affairs.

4. DWP had looked into this a number of years ago but was unable to deliver the change due to potential risks, that we were unable to explore to a conclusion at the time. However, in February 2024 we began pre-discovery work to investigate the possibility again, including any associated risks.

5. Previously, Corporate Appointee teams in LAs were only able to retrieve claimant information by telephone from the DWP Service Centres, resulting in inefficiencies. More specifically:

• Corporate Appointee teams reported extensive call holding times when telephoning DWP of up to 40 minutes and were only allowed to discuss one claimant per call, subsequently leading to increased agent time and backlogs of claims affecting service delivery.
• In some cases, where LAs had not yet become the Corporate Appointee, they were inevitably rejecting claims due to insufficient information provided and DWP Service Centres not recognising the LA as a Corporate Appointee. This subsequently delayed the processing of claims and in some cases leaving citizens without support for lengthy periods of time.

6. Since LAs were already accessing such data via telephone, it is DWP’s view that this piece of work is only streamlining an existing process by introducing Searchlight as a more efficient channel.

7. The MOU provides further details surrounding when Searchlight can be accessed and for which purpose.

8. If you have any questions regarding the content of this article, email lawelfare.datacrosscutting@dwp.gov.uk.

Care Home Information Service: National rollout plans

9. Following the Care Home Information Service (CHIS) workshops held recently with LAs using Azeus, The Access Group and OLM Adult Social Care (ASC) systems, we are continuing to drive forward the national rollout of the solution to LAs.

Action required: For LAs who use Azeus, The Access Group and OLM ASC IT software:

10. As discussed during the recent workshops, we need all LAs to confirm their software upgrade timeline to a CHIS compatible version. Please send your responses to lawelfare.ladsdeliveryteam@dwp.gov.uk by Friday 22 August 2025. Thank you to those LAs who have already provided a response.

11. Once we receive your timeline, DWP will issue national rollout guidance to support the next steps.

Action required: For LAs who are using SystemC ASC IT software:

12. SystemC is currently on a slower timeline, we will invite SystemC LAs to attend CHIS introductory workshops in September 2025. National rollout of the CHIS solution is expected to commence from November 2025.

13. As a reminder to all LAs regardless of ASC IT supplier, these are the benefits the CHIS solution offers to LAs and the citizen. These include, but are not limited to:

• ensuring that information transferred between LAs and the DWP occurs in a faster, more structured, and controlled way
• reducing lengthy clerical processes, thereby saving time and LA resources
• enhancing the customer experience and helping to reduce overpayments and underpayments to citizens, and to
• pave the way for the further improvements in data sharing between DWP and LAs.

14. If you have further questions, please contact LA Data Sharing Team at: lawelfare.ladsdeliveryteam@dwp.gov.uk.

Invitation to the next Data Sharing and IT consultation and engagement forum

15. The next forum will be held on Monday 18 August 2025 from 11am to 12 noon.

Joining instructions

16. The joining instructions are:

• Note: The MS Teams link to this meeting has been shared in the version of the LAWD8/2025 that was sent directly to each LA’s single inbox.
• aim to join the event 2 or 3 minutes before the start time, as we intend to start promptly.
• attendees will be muted by default, but instructions will be given during the event if you want to ask a question.

Forum agenda

• A 15 minute introduction from DWP, covering projects recently delivered, projects currently in delivery, insight into future planned projects, as well as the most recent common issues that have been reported to us.
• 30 to 45 minutes of questions from LAs on the call about the projects and matters covered in the introduction and any other IT and data sharing questions and issues LAs may have.
• If time allows, 15 minutes focused on suggestions from LAs about future data sharing, data matching or automation projects that DWP could consider funding and delivering.

17. The call will be recorded, and the recording will be published on Glasscubes.

18. The forum is open to all LAs and it would be beneficial for every LA to have at least one representative dial into the forum to help us maximise feedback. Each LA representative should:

• seek input and feedback from as many of their colleagues as possible prior to dialling in, for example, questions they might want answering
• have knowledge, at least at a high level, about data sharing, data matching and current IT topic areas
• feedback to their colleagues about how the conference call went, including the answers to the questions we asked.

19. We look forward to your participation on the call. However, if you have any questions in the meantime, please contact paul.selby@dwp.gov.uk.

Housing Benefit subsidy guidance manual for the financial year ending March 2025

20. The Housing Benefit subsidy guidance manual 2024 to 2025 has been published on www.gov.uk.

21. If you have any questions regarding the content of this guidance, send an email to lawelfare.lapaymentsandsubsidy@dwp.gov.uk.

Practitioners’ Operational Group and Local Authority Welfare Steering Group

22. The last Local Authority Welfare Steering Group meeting took place on 17 July 2025. Agenda items included Move to Universal Credit, Review of Universal Credit Alternative Payment Arrangements, Supported Housing, Cost of Living, Pulse Survey feedback.

23. Both groups’ meetings are held bi-monthly (and alternately), so the next Practitioners Operational Group meeting is scheduled to take place on 21 August 2025.

24. If you have any questions regarding topics raised at these consultation groups, email  lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk.

HB Decisions by the Upper Tribunal

25. Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) Leeds is not aware of any cases that have been decided by the Upper Tribunal (UT):

26. A selection of decisions of the Upper Tribunal are published on their website. Do be aware that there is an undefined time lapse between decisions being issued and their appearance on the website.

27. If you have any queries about cases before the UT Judges or courts, please contact us by email at quarryhouse.dmaleedscustomersupportservices@dwp.gov.uk.

HB cases awaiting decision by the UT

28. DMA Leeds have not been made aware of any HB case that is awaiting decision by the Upper Tribunal.

New Legislation

29. The following Statutory Instruments (SIs) have been laid:

• 2025 No. 807 – The Health and Care Act 2022 (Commencement No. 10 and Transitional and Saving Provision) Regulations 2025, made on 7 July 2025
• 2025 No. 808 – The Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Relevant Public Authorities and Designated Senior Officers) Regulations 2025, made on 7 July 2025
• 2025 No. 818 – The Child Benefit (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2025, made on 8 July 2025
• 2025 No. 823 – The Housing (Right to Buy) (Designated Rural Areas and Designated Regions) (England) Order 2025, made on 9 July 2025
• 2025 No. 841 – The Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2025, made on 10 July 2025
• 2025 No. 861 – The Disability Premium Compensation Scheme (Income Tax Exemption) Regulations 2025, made on 14 July 2025
• 2025 No. 865 – The Social Security (Contributions) (Amendment No. 6) Regulations 2025, made on 15 July 2025
• 2025 No. 867 – The Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (Amendment) and Grenfell Support (Restorative Justice) Programme (Income Tax Exemption) Regulations 2025, made on 15 July 2025
• 2025 No. 891 – The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) and Persons Subject to Immigration Control (Housing Authority Accommodation and Homelessness) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, made on 17 July 2025
• 2025 No. 916 – The Legislative Reform (Disclosure of Adult Social Care Data) Order 2025, made on 22 July 2025

30. Copies of SIs can now be downloaded from legislation.gov.uk.

What’s new on our HB pages on www.gov.uk

31. The following items can be found on the website link shown:

Document type

LAWD bulletin.

Subject

Editorial.

Applications for Third Party Deductions from Universal Credit: Clarification regarding completion of the Council Tax form. 

Housing Benefit Matching Service: Reminder to record the National Insurance number of a Housing Benefit claimant’s partner. 

Care Home Information Service: National rollout plans. 

Scottish Discretionary Housing Payments. 

Important reminder about checking State Pension age for those born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961. 

Practitioners’ Operational Group and LA Welfare Steering Group. 

HB Decisions by the Upper Tribunal. 

New Legislation. 

What’s new on our HB pages on www.gov.uk.

Link

LAWD7/2025.