Universal Credit Personal Budgeting Support Grant

Manchester City Council are seeking applications for funding from Voluntary and Community Sector services / organisations who are able to provide Personal Budgeting Support for those who require advice and support for managing Universal Credit. The aim of the support is to help residents adapting to a single household payment, being paid monthly in arrears and to manage the housing element being paid directly to them rather than to the landlord.

Universal Credit is the most significant part of the Government’s welfare reform programme. It is designed to make work pay so that people are better off in work than claiming benefits and brings together both in-work benefit and out of work benefit. Universal Credit should enable people move in and out of work more smoothly and eliminate disincentives to work.

Manchester City Council has entered into a Delivery Partnership Agreement with the DWP to support them with the implementation of Universal Credit and ensure that the necessary support is available for claimants to make online claims and manage the new benefit. Part of this agreement is for local delivery of Personal Budgeting Support, for which DWP has provided funding. The City Council is offering this funding in full to a local delivery partner/ consortium via this grant prospectus.

Applications for funding can be from a consortium or individual organisations, but they must be based in Manchester and working with Manchester people. The funding can only be offered to one consortium / individual organisation and cannot be split between bidders.

Applications from groups working together in a partnership will require one organisation acting as the lead, accountable organisation. The lead organisation will be responsible for taking all referrals from the DWP and for returning management information and other documentation to the DWP for all claimants.

There is £20,269 funding for the Personal Budgeting Support grant which will run from decision award to March 2017.

For further information, email: [email protected]

Deadline: Monday 9 May 2016, 12:00