Direct payments demonstration projects learning network

Background

As part of the government's welfare reforms, direct payments will be introduced for households moving onto universal credit from October 2013. This means that the new credit will be paid as a single payment direct to the claimant, rather than to the landlord as housing benefit is currently.

The department for work and pensions (DWP) are currently running a number of direct payment demonstration projects with local authorities and housing providers to see how tenants manage their monthly payment of housing benefit and to seek to address any problems in communication that may arise. As part of this process CIH, together with DWP and the department for communities and local government (DCLG), is facilitating an online learning network to enable organisations to keep track of the demonstration projects, to share in their learning and to exchange information and views about implementing direct payments with other interested parties.

About the learning network

The network will enable you to keep up to date with the lessons learnt by the demonstration projects. Regular learning reports are posted in the network's document library.

A discussion forum allows everyone to keep in touch with each other, to exchange experiences and ideas and find solutions to problems and webinars are also used to allow participants to hear from and speak directly to those involved in the demonstration projects online. Previous webinars have covered areas such as:

• An overview of the demonstration projects
• A view from a participating area
• Emerging lessons
• Providing support to tenants

By joining the network you can also view recordings of past webinars and access copies of the slides and the speakers' answers to participants questions.

How to join the network

Please contact david pipe or laura shimili to request an invitation to join the direct payments demonstration projects learning network.