Decision details

5.1      The Chair circulated some suggested recommendations to the Committee.

5.2     In response to questions from the Committee, and comments from

          Justine  Roberts (Change and Innovation Manager), the following was        noted:

§  The Committee was given reassurances by officers that the new approach would lead to the savings predicted.

§  Some ‘back up’ funding was being held in the corporate centre in case some individuals do not move onto benefits as quickly as anticipated.

§  A Home Office officer has been embedded into the team, to help localise decision-making and aid speedy resolutions.

§  The Committee commended officers for the work they have undertaken in this area.

5.3      RESOLVED: That the report be noted and the following recommendations agreed:

            The Committee recommends:

• Exerting pressure on central government around NRPF in order to highlight the considerable additional pressure that local authority finances have been put under. To lobby for funding to match the costs passed to local authorities and to pursue the possibility of legal action in cases where Home Office mismanagement leave local authorities with longstanding and costly unresolved cases.
• That the Mayor makes an urgent request of the Home Secretary to explain why Local Authorities should shoulder the cost for cases lost in the Home Office’s backlog.

• Supporting the robust front-door approach that has been taken by the NRPF pilot project and recommending that the pilot approach is mainstreamed and made a permanent approach.

• Building on the good work of the pilot by investigating current high-cost NRPF cases and endeavouring to bring the cost of cases down as far as practicable.

• Placing existing cases under irregular, unannounced rolling review to identify if claimants still meet criteria for support.

• Taking action to drive down the housing costs associated with those with NRPF through further improved procurement of private sector housing and seeking more sustainable long term housing solutions for those with NRPF by exploring all available housing options.

• Actively pursuing a shared service around NRPF in as wide an area in London as possible in order to better deal with the problem of NRPF.

• Immediate referral to Mayor & Cabinet at the turn of a new financial year in all cases where an area of spending doubles in the space of one financial year. In 2012 spending on people with NRPF stood at £2.2m 2012 and by 2013 had more than doubled to £5.3m. For similar cases in the future there must be a greater sense of urgency as well as more democratic control and oversight.