FOI Request - Welfare Rights Service

Request 101003279499 

I would like to request the following information from your local authority under FOISA:

1. Whether your local authority has an in house welfare rights service, and if not, where the authority refers applicants who are looking for welfare rights services to
(and, if your authority does run an in house welfare rights service)

2. The number of contacts your authority has received (either through self referrals, or agency/charity referrals) requesting advice or assistance from your in house welfare rights service for the last 5 financial years, broken down by year
3. The number of contacts which you have received which have led to advice/ support to an applicant being given by your local authority’s welfare rights service for the last 5 financial years, broken down by year
4. How many benefits eligibility checks your welfare rights service has run over the last 5 financial years, broken down by year
5. The number of FTE staff members employed within the welfare rights service on 1 April 2018, 1 April 2019, 1 April 2020, 1 April 2021, 1 April 2022, and 1 March 2023.
6. The budget allocated for providing your welfare rights service for each of the last 5 financial years

Response 12-04-2023

1.  Moray Council does run an in-house welfare rights service. The Welfare Benefits Team and Income Maximisation Team are part of the Moray Council Money Advice Moray Service

2.  Total Referrals for 

2018-2019 = 769

2019-2020 = 763

2020-2021 = 869

2021-2022 = 1034

2022-2023 = 870

3.  Total case work for clients:

2018-2019 = 545, 

2019-2020 = 513

2020-2021 = 649

2021-2022 = 440

2022-2023 = 459

4.  Benefit checks as for following years: 

2018-2019 = 713, 

2019-2020 = 777

2020-2021 = 891 

2021-2022 = 994

2022-2023 = 640

5.  The number of Welfare Benefits Staff (Appeal Officers) on the following dates 1 April 2018 =2 FTE, 1 April 2019= 2 FTE, 1 April 2020= 2 FTE, 1 April 2021= 2 FTE, 1 April 2022 = 2 FTE and 1 March 2023= 1 FTE

The number of Income Maximisation Staff (Income Maximisation Officers) on the following dates 1 April 2018= 3 FTE, 1 April 2019= 3FTE, 1 April 2020= 3 FTE, 1 April 2021= 3 FTE, 1 April 3 FTE and 1 March 2023= 2FTE.

Clerical Support for Income Maximisation Staff on the following dates: 1 April 2018= 0 FTE, 1 April 2019, 0 FTE, 1 April 2020= 0.5 FTE, 1 April 2021=0.5 FTE, 1 April 2020= 0.5.FTE, 1 April 2022= 0.5 FTE, 1 March 2023= 0.5 FTE

Clerical Support for Welfare Benefits 1 April 2018= 0.5 FTE, 1 April 2019= 0 FTE, 1 April 2020= 0 FTE, 1 April 2021 =0 FTE, 1 April 2022= 0 FTE, 1 March 2023= 0 FTE

6.  Gross expenditure for the following last 5 financial years as follows: 

2018-2019 = £331,791; 

2019-2020 = £475,839

2020-2021 = £451,626

2021-2022 = £445,998

2022-2023 = £486,206